Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square in Lesotho
Lesotho: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square was -844.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square in Lesotho, 1975–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in BoP, current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square in Lesotho is -844.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of down 228.0% on the previous year and down 150.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square in Lesotho peaked at 3,729 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2015 and was at its lowest, -844.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, in 2023.
Lesotho ranks 182nd of 200 countries on this measure, 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 (BoP, current US$), per square in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1976 | 0 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1977 | 14.49 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1978 | 0.6588 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -95.5% |
| 1979 | 6.59 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +900.0% |
| 1980 | 148.02 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +2146.9% |
| 1981 | 157.64 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 1982 | 106.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -32.3% |
| 1983 | 166.44 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +55.9% |
| 1984 | 79.54 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -52.2% |
| 1985 | 161.22 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +102.7% |
| 1986 | 74.25 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -53.9% |
| 1987 | 195.27 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +163.0% |
| 1988 | 703.11 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +260.1% |
| 1989 | 452.47 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -35.6% |
| 1990 | 542.78 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +20.0% |
| 1991 | 263.17 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -51.5% |
| 1992 | 275.69 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 515.71 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +87.1% |
| 1994 | 1,425 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +176.4% |
| 1995 | 796.32 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -44.1% |
| 1996 | 957.63 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +20.3% |
| 1997 | 1,076 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +12.4% |
| 1998 | 933.82 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -13.2% |
| 1999 | 725.9 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -22.3% |
| 2000 | 1,067 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +47.0% |
| 2001 | 978.1 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -8.4% |
| 2002 | 935.15 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -4.4% |
| 2003 | 1,448 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +54.8% |
| 2004 | 1,834 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +26.7% |
| 2005 | 903.76 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -50.7% |
| 2006 | 801.13 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -11.4% |
| 2007 | 2,491 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +210.9% |
| 2008 | 362.65 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -85.4% |
| 2009 | 3,009 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +729.7% |
| 2010 | 313.2 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -89.6% |
| 2011 | 2,015 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +543.3% |
| 2012 | 1,866 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 1,661 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -11.0% |
| 2014 | 3,111 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +87.3% |
| 2015 | 3,729 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +19.9% |
| 2016 | 2,610 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -30.0% |
| 2017 | 1,389 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -46.8% |
| 2018 | 1,346 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 1,177 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -12.6% |
| 2020 | 922.32 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -21.6% |
| 2021 | -407.52 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -144.2% |
| 2022 | -257.58 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -36.8% |
| 2023 | -844.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +228.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's -844.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2,375 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's -844.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,786 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +2146.9% | 6.59 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 148.02 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
| 1979 | +900.0% | 0.6588 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 6.59 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
| 2009 | +729.7% | 362.65 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 3,009 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
| 2011 | +543.3% | 313.2 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 2,015 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.35 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 0 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 14.49 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 5 |
| 1980s | 224.48 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 74.25 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 703.11 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 751.26 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 263.17 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 1,425 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,383 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 362.65 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 3,009 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,922 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 313.2 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 3,729 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | -146.89 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -844.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 922.32 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 179 Finland -377.68 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 180 Russian Federation -613.37 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 181 Yemen -702.66 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 183 Angola -1,700 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 184 French Polynesia -1,872 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 185 Guyana -5,376 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
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 foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square in Lesotho?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square in Lesotho was -844.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 3,729 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2015.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was -844.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square?
- Lesotho ranks 182nd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 150.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.