Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita in Lesotho
Lesotho: Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita was 0.55 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita in Lesotho, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for human development index vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho is 0.55, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho peaked at 0.55 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.451, in 2006.
That places Lesotho 167th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.483 | — |
| 1991 | 0.482 | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 0.481 | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 0.477 | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 0.478 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 0.476 | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 0.473 | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 0.469 | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 0.469 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.462 | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 0.462 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.457 | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 0.455 | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 0.456 | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 0.454 | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 0.454 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.451 | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 0.458 | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 0.463 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 0.468 | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 0.478 | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 0.485 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 0.496 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 0.502 | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 0.509 | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 0.517 | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 0.526 | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 0.531 | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 0.538 | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 0.541 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 0.537 | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 0.532 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 0.547 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 0.55 | +0.5% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 0.55 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.622, 88% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 0.55 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.56, 98% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.475 | 0.462 | 0.483 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4578 | 0.451 | 0.468 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5123 | 0.478 | 0.541 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5415 | 0.532 | 0.55 | 4 |
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 human development index vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho?
- Human development index vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho was 0.55 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index vs. gdp per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 0.55 in 2023.
- What is the lowest human development index vs. gdp per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.451 in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for human development index vs. gdp per capita?
- Lesotho ranks 167th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.