External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Lesotho
Lesotho: External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) was 1.98 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1.98 billion DOD, current US$
Change on year
up 11.3%
World rank
102nd
of 123 countries
All-time high
1.98 billion DOD, current US$
in 2025
All-time low
8.12 million DOD, current US$
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
External debt stocks, total in Lesotho, 1970–2025
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in DOD, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, external debt stocks, total in Lesotho stood at 1.98 billion DOD, current US$. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 11.3% on the previous year and up 108.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks, total in Lesotho peaked at 1.98 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, 8.12 million DOD, current US$, in 1970.
That places Lesotho 102nd out of 123 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | DOD, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8.12 million DOD, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 8.63 million DOD, current US$ | +6.2% |
| 1972 | 9.49 million DOD, current US$ | +9.9% |
| 1973 | 8.26 million DOD, current US$ | -12.9% |
| 1974 | 10.15 million DOD, current US$ | +22.9% |
| 1975 | 14.09 million DOD, current US$ | +38.7% |
| 1976 | 16.20 million DOD, current US$ | +15.0% |
| 1977 | 24.59 million DOD, current US$ | +51.8% |
| 1978 | 34.00 million DOD, current US$ | +38.3% |
| 1979 | 53.13 million DOD, current US$ | +56.2% |
| 1980 | 71.94 million DOD, current US$ | +35.4% |
| 1981 | 84.41 million DOD, current US$ | +17.3% |
| 1982 | 122.07 million DOD, current US$ | +44.6% |
| 1983 | 128.67 million DOD, current US$ | +5.4% |
| 1984 | 138.03 million DOD, current US$ | +7.3% |
| 1985 | 175.29 million DOD, current US$ | +27.0% |
| 1986 | 197.62 million DOD, current US$ | +12.7% |
| 1987 | 258.63 million DOD, current US$ | +30.9% |
| 1988 | 287.09 million DOD, current US$ | +11.0% |
| 1989 | 328.15 million DOD, current US$ | +14.3% |
| 1990 | 395.59 million DOD, current US$ | +20.6% |
| 1991 | 447.39 million DOD, current US$ | +13.1% |
| 1992 | 494.40 million DOD, current US$ | +10.5% |
| 1993 | 542.37 million DOD, current US$ | +9.7% |
| 1994 | 622.55 million DOD, current US$ | +14.8% |
| 1995 | 684.36 million DOD, current US$ | +9.9% |
| 1996 | 701.23 million DOD, current US$ | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 672.95 million DOD, current US$ | -4.0% |
| 1998 | 688.21 million DOD, current US$ | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 687.19 million DOD, current US$ | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 769.69 million DOD, current US$ | +12.0% |
| 2001 | 684.40 million DOD, current US$ | -11.1% |
| 2002 | 712.58 million DOD, current US$ | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 705.76 million DOD, current US$ | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 773.44 million DOD, current US$ | +9.6% |
| 2005 | 666.29 million DOD, current US$ | -13.9% |
| 2006 | 657.44 million DOD, current US$ | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 685.48 million DOD, current US$ | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 700.05 million DOD, current US$ | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 766.53 million DOD, current US$ | +9.5% |
| 2010 | 788.06 million DOD, current US$ | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 813.62 million DOD, current US$ | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 905.66 million DOD, current US$ | +11.3% |
| 2013 | 926.49 million DOD, current US$ | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 913.34 million DOD, current US$ | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 953.98 million DOD, current US$ | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 1.36 billion DOD, current US$ | +42.5% |
| 2017 | 1.51 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.8% |
| 2018 | 1.46 billion DOD, current US$ | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 1.58 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.2% |
| 2020 | 1.74 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.7% |
| 2021 | 1.83 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.4% |
| 2022 | 1.81 billion DOD, current US$ | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.78 billion DOD, current US$ | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 1.78 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 1.98 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 1.98 billion DOD, current US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.63 billion DOD, current US$, 12% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 1.98 billion DOD, current US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7.71 billion DOD, current US$, 26% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.67 million DOD, current US$ | 8.12 million DOD, current US$ | 53.13 million DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 179.19 million DOD, current US$ | 71.94 million DOD, current US$ | 328.15 million DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 593.62 million DOD, current US$ | 395.59 million DOD, current US$ | 701.23 million DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 712.17 million DOD, current US$ | 657.44 million DOD, current US$ | 773.44 million DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.12 billion DOD, current US$ | 788.06 million DOD, current US$ | 1.58 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.82 billion DOD, current US$ | 1.74 billion DOD, current US$ | 1.98 billion DOD, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 99 Liberia 2.47 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 100 Botswana 2.47 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 101 Sierra Leone 2.37 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 103 Gambia 1.79 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 104 Somalia 1.79 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 105 Belize 1.61 billion DOD, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Lesotho
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -71.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 57.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0799 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 87.06 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 50.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0584 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 63.57 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0303 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per capita 33.01 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt stocks, total in Lesotho?
- External debt stocks, total in Lesotho was 1.98 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest external debt stocks, total recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 1.98 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks, total recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.12 million DOD, current US$ in 1970.
- How does Lesotho rank for external debt stocks, total?
- Lesotho ranks 102nd out of 123 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external debt stocks, total rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 108.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.