External balance on goods and services in Lesotho
Lesotho: External balance on goods and services was -25.28 billion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Lesotho, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
In 2025, external balance on goods and services in Lesotho stood at -25.28 billion current LCU. That is the lowest value across all 41 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.5% on the previous year and down 91.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Lesotho peaked at -6.60 million current LCU in 1960 and was at its lowest, -25.28 billion current LCU, in 2025.
Lesotho ranks 121st of 193 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.
External balance on goods and services in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -6.60 million current LCU | — |
| 1961 | -8.40 million current LCU | +27.3% |
| 1962 | -10.00 million current LCU | +19.0% |
| 1963 | -12.10 million current LCU | +21.0% |
| 1964 | -12.70 million current LCU | +5.0% |
| 1965 | -14.80 million current LCU | +16.5% |
| 1966 | -18.50 million current LCU | +25.0% |
| 1967 | -18.90 million current LCU | +2.2% |
| 1968 | -18.90 million current LCU | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -17.90 million current LCU | -5.3% |
| 1970 | -18.00 million current LCU | +0.6% |
| 1971 | -23.00 million current LCU | +27.8% |
| 1972 | -33.00 million current LCU | +43.5% |
| 1973 | -45.00 million current LCU | +36.4% |
| 1974 | -65.00 million current LCU | +44.4% |
| 1975 | -99.00 million current LCU | +52.3% |
| 1976 | -155.00 million current LCU | +56.6% |
| 1977 | -169.00 million current LCU | +9.0% |
| 1978 | -170.00 million current LCU | +0.6% |
| 1979 | -248.00 million current LCU | +45.9% |
| 1980 | -299.40 million current LCU | +20.7% |
| 1981 | -372.30 million current LCU | +24.3% |
| 2007 | -6.94 billion current LCU | +1763.8% |
| 2008 | -8.07 billion current LCU | +16.3% |
| 2009 | -10.23 billion current LCU | +26.8% |
| 2010 | -10.77 billion current LCU | +5.3% |
| 2011 | -10.18 billion current LCU | -5.5% |
| 2012 | -13.55 billion current LCU | +33.2% |
| 2013 | -12.99 billion current LCU | -4.2% |
| 2014 | -13.24 billion current LCU | +2.0% |
| 2015 | -13.23 billion current LCU | -0.1% |
| 2016 | -13.92 billion current LCU | +5.2% |
| 2017 | -15.80 billion current LCU | +13.5% |
| 2018 | -15.14 billion current LCU | -4.2% |
| 2019 | -16.61 billion current LCU | +9.7% |
| 2020 | -17.64 billion current LCU | +6.2% |
| 2021 | -16.72 billion current LCU | -5.3% |
| 2022 | -19.01 billion current LCU | +13.7% |
| 2023 | -21.75 billion current LCU | +14.4% |
| 2024 | -23.52 billion current LCU | +8.1% |
| 2025 | -25.28 billion current LCU | +7.5% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's -25.28 billion current LCU is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is -57.12 billion current LCU, 44% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's -25.28 billion current LCU is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -68.31 billion current LCU, 37% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | -1763.8% | -372.30 million current LCU | -6.94 billion current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -13.88 million current LCU | -18.90 million current LCU | -6.60 million current LCU | 10 |
| 1970s | -102.50 million current LCU | -248.00 million current LCU | -18.00 million current LCU | 10 |
| 1980s | -335.85 million current LCU | -372.30 million current LCU | -299.40 million current LCU | 2 |
| 2000s | -8.41 billion current LCU | -10.23 billion current LCU | -6.94 billion current LCU | 3 |
| 2010s | -13.54 billion current LCU | -16.61 billion current LCU | -10.18 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | -20.66 billion current LCU | -25.28 billion current LCU | -16.72 billion current LCU | 6 |
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 external balance on goods and services in Lesotho?
- External balance on goods and services in Lesotho was -25.28 billion current LCU in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was -6.60 million current LCU in 1960.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was -25.28 billion current LCU in 2025.
- How does Lesotho rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Lesotho ranks 121st out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 91.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of External balance on goods and services (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.