Annual growth of imports of goods and services in Lesotho
Lesotho: Annual growth of imports of goods and services was -0.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
-0.2%
Change on year
up 67.5%
World rank
137th
of 186 countries
All-time high
19.8%
in 2002
All-time low
-7.6%
in 2013
Years of data
24
2000–2023
Annual growth of imports of goods and services in Lesotho, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2023, annual growth of imports of goods and services in Lesotho stood at -0.2%.
That represents a change of up 67.5% on the previous year and up 96.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual growth of imports of goods and services in Lesotho peaked at 19.8% in 2002 and was at its lowest, -7.6%, in 2013.
Lesotho ranks 137th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual growth of imports of goods and services in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6.3% | — |
| 2001 | 15.2% | +139.0% |
| 2002 | 19.8% | +30.7% |
| 2003 | 2.7% | -86.4% |
| 2004 | 1.3% | -53.3% |
| 2005 | 1.7% | +31.0% |
| 2006 | 9.6% | +477.8% |
| 2007 | 15.3% | +59.6% |
| 2008 | 8.1% | -46.8% |
| 2009 | 2.5% | -69.7% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | +57.5% |
| 2011 | 2.8% | -27.4% |
| 2012 | 9.0% | +218.6% |
| 2013 | -7.6% | -184.4% |
| 2014 | -1.0% | -87.1% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | -863.4% |
| 2016 | 1.4% | -81.0% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | -85.7% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | +465.3% |
| 2019 | -1.2% | -208.2% |
| 2020 | -0.6% | -53.4% |
| 2021 | -0.4% | -24.9% |
| 2022 | -0.7% | +70.6% |
| 2023 | -0.2% | -67.5% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's -0.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.6%. (40 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's -0.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.0%. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.2% | 1.3% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.6% | -7.6% | 9.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.5% | -0.7% | -0.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More economy & growth data for Lesotho
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 0 BoP, current US$ (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 0 BoP, current US$ per person (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -5.77 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 54.09 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0022 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -2.44 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per unit of GDP 0.4215 includes gold, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per capita 431.19 includes gold, current US$ per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual growth of imports of goods and services in Lesotho?
- Annual growth of imports of goods and services in Lesotho was -0.2% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest annual growth of imports of goods and services recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 19.8% in 2002.
- What is the lowest annual growth of imports of goods and services recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was -7.6% in 2013.
- How does Lesotho rank for annual growth of imports of goods and services?
- Lesotho ranks 137th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual growth of imports of goods and services rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 96.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Annual growth of imports of goods and services (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).