Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) was 33.48 million BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Lesotho, 1975–2025
Source: 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. Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 33.48 million BoP, current US$ for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 125.9% on the previous year and down 70.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Lesotho peaked at 134.94 million BoP, current US$ in 2017 and was at its lowest, -57.51 million BoP, current US$, in 2019.
That places Lesotho 169th out of 204 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1976 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1977 | 440,000 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1978 | 20,000 BoP, current US$ | -95.5% |
| 1979 | 200,000 BoP, current US$ | +900.0% |
| 1980 | 4.49 million BoP, current US$ | +2146.9% |
| 1981 | 4.79 million BoP, current US$ | +6.5% |
| 1982 | 3.24 million BoP, current US$ | -32.3% |
| 1983 | 5.05 million BoP, current US$ | +55.9% |
| 1984 | 2.41 million BoP, current US$ | -52.2% |
| 1985 | 4.89 million BoP, current US$ | +102.7% |
| 1986 | 2.25 million BoP, current US$ | -53.9% |
| 1987 | 5.93 million BoP, current US$ | +163.0% |
| 1988 | 21.35 million BoP, current US$ | +260.1% |
| 1989 | 13.74 million BoP, current US$ | -35.6% |
| 1990 | 16.48 million BoP, current US$ | +20.0% |
| 1991 | 7.99 million BoP, current US$ | -51.5% |
| 1992 | 8.37 million BoP, current US$ | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 15.66 million BoP, current US$ | +87.1% |
| 1994 | 43.27 million BoP, current US$ | +176.4% |
| 1995 | 24.18 million BoP, current US$ | -44.1% |
| 1996 | 29.07 million BoP, current US$ | +20.3% |
| 1997 | 32.68 million BoP, current US$ | +12.4% |
| 1998 | 28.35 million BoP, current US$ | -13.2% |
| 1999 | 22.04 million BoP, current US$ | -22.3% |
| 2000 | 32.40 million BoP, current US$ | +47.0% |
| 2001 | 29.70 million BoP, current US$ | -8.4% |
| 2002 | 28.39 million BoP, current US$ | -4.4% |
| 2003 | 43.95 million BoP, current US$ | +54.8% |
| 2004 | 55.67 million BoP, current US$ | +26.7% |
| 2005 | 27.44 million BoP, current US$ | -50.7% |
| 2006 | 24.32 million BoP, current US$ | -11.4% |
| 2007 | 75.62 million BoP, current US$ | +210.9% |
| 2008 | 11.01 million BoP, current US$ | -85.4% |
| 2009 | 91.35 million BoP, current US$ | +729.7% |
| 2010 | 9.51 million BoP, current US$ | -89.6% |
| 2011 | 61.17 million BoP, current US$ | +543.3% |
| 2012 | 56.65 million BoP, current US$ | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 50.43 million BoP, current US$ | -11.0% |
| 2014 | 94.46 million BoP, current US$ | +87.3% |
| 2015 | 113.22 million BoP, current US$ | +19.9% |
| 2016 | 38.95 million BoP, current US$ | -65.6% |
| 2017 | 134.94 million BoP, current US$ | +246.4% |
| 2018 | 23.46 million BoP, current US$ | -82.6% |
| 2019 | -57.51 million BoP, current US$ | -345.2% |
| 2020 | 12.26 million BoP, current US$ | -121.3% |
| 2021 | -12.44 million BoP, current US$ | -201.5% |
| 2022 | -138,752 BoP, current US$ | -98.9% |
| 2023 | 24.94 million BoP, current US$ | -18071.2% |
| 2024 | 14.82 million BoP, current US$ | -40.6% |
| 2025 | 33.48 million BoP, current US$ | +125.9% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 33.48 million BoP, current US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 642.40 million BoP, current US$, 5% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 33.48 million BoP, current US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 490.83 million BoP, current US$, 7% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +18071.2% | -138,752 BoP, current US$ | 24.94 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1980 | +2146.9% | 200,000 BoP, current US$ | 4.49 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1979 | +900.0% | 20,000 BoP, current US$ | 200,000 BoP, current US$ |
| 2009 | +729.7% | 11.01 million BoP, current US$ | 91.35 million BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 132,000 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 440,000 BoP, current US$ | 5 |
| 1980s | 6.82 million BoP, current US$ | 2.25 million BoP, current US$ | 21.35 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.81 million BoP, current US$ | 7.99 million BoP, current US$ | 43.27 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.98 million BoP, current US$ | 11.01 million BoP, current US$ | 91.35 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.53 million BoP, current US$ | -57.51 million BoP, current US$ | 134.94 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.15 million BoP, current US$ | -12.44 million BoP, current US$ | 33.48 million BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 166 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 35.42 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 167 Burundi 35.12 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 168 Guinea-Bissau 33.57 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 170 Vanuatu 32.92 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 171 Saint Kitts and Nevis 28.35 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 172 Afghanistan 20.60 million BoP, 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 foreign direct investment, net inflows in Lesotho?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Lesotho was 33.48 million BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to 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.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 134.94 million BoP, current US$ in 2017.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was -57.51 million BoP, current US$ in 2019.
- How does Lesotho rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Lesotho ranks 169th out of 204 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 70.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from 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, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in the reporting economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. Data are in current U.S. dollars.