Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Lesotho
Lesotho: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was -0.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Lesotho, 1975–2025
Source: IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Lesotho stood at -0.2%.
That represents a change of up 57.3% on the previous year and down 104.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Lesotho peaked at 5.2% in 2009 and was at its lowest, -1.2%, in 2023.
That places Lesotho 178th out of 198 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.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.0% | — |
| 1976 | 0.0% | — |
| 1977 | 0.2% | — |
| 1978 | 0.0% | -96.7% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | +818.8% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | +1410.7% |
| 1981 | 1.1% | +5.8% |
| 1982 | 0.9% | -15.7% |
| 1983 | 1.3% | +40.6% |
| 1984 | 0.7% | -44.5% |
| 1985 | 1.8% | +151.4% |
| 1986 | 0.7% | -61.2% |
| 1987 | 1.5% | +108.2% |
| 1988 | 4.5% | +208.3% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | -38.9% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 1.1% | -58.9% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -11.2% |
| 1993 | 1.9% | +86.0% |
| 1994 | 4.9% | +162.9% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | -51.0% |
| 1996 | 3.1% | +27.3% |
| 1997 | 3.3% | +6.6% |
| 1998 | 3.1% | -6.7% |
| 1999 | 2.4% | -20.9% |
| 2000 | 3.7% | +51.3% |
| 2001 | 3.6% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 3.7% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 3.8% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 3.7% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | -55.7% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | -17.2% |
| 2007 | 4.5% | +232.7% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | -86.1% |
| 2009 | 5.2% | +742.1% |
| 2010 | 0.4% | -91.9% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | +457.4% |
| 2012 | 2.3% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | -6.8% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | +81.6% |
| 2015 | 4.8% | +24.0% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | -21.9% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | -51.2% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -12.5% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -8.8% |
| 2021 | -0.5% | -137.6% |
| 2022 | -0.3% | -35.3% |
| 2023 | -1.2% | +262.6% |
| 2024 | -0.5% | -56.3% |
| 2025 | -0.2% | -57.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 5 |
| 1980s | 1.6% | 0.7% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | 1.0% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.2% | 0.6% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 0.4% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.2% | -1.2% | 1.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 175 Belize 0.0% compare
- 176 Finland -0.1% compare
- 177 French Polynesia -0.2% compare
- 179 Kazakhstan -0.3% compare
- 180 South Africa -0.5% compare
- 181 Iceland -0.5% compare
More economy & growth data for Lesotho
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.4399 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.2655 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 289.13 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), annual 0.4399 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 1.86 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 2,022 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 16.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.556 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per capita 605.51 current US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU), annual growth rate 13.74 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Lesotho?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Lesotho was -0.2% in 2025, according to IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 5.2% in 2009.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.2% in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Lesotho ranks 178th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 104.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Net inflows of foreign direct investment from foreign investors to the reporting economy.