Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) was 66.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Lesotho, 2000–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Lesotho is 66.1%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.1% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Lesotho peaked at 96.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 34.1%, in 2000.
Lesotho ranks 22nd of 201 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 34.1% | — |
| 2001 | 66.9% | +96.2% |
| 2002 | 88.4% | +32.1% |
| 2003 | 90.9% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 77.9% | -14.2% |
| 2005 | 44.9% | -42.4% |
| 2006 | 44.4% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 51.3% | +15.4% |
| 2008 | 40.9% | -20.2% |
| 2009 | 46.3% | +13.2% |
| 2010 | 52.4% | +13.2% |
| 2011 | 51.3% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 59.2% | +15.3% |
| 2013 | 69.4% | +17.2% |
| 2014 | 57.6% | -17.0% |
| 2015 | 60.2% | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 63.9% | +6.1% |
| 2017 | 79.1% | +23.8% |
| 2018 | 73.2% | -7.5% |
| 2019 | 96.1% | +31.2% |
| 2020 | 85.2% | -11.4% |
| 2021 | 75.8% | -10.9% |
| 2022 | 76.4% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 77.2% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 69.6% | -9.9% |
| 2025 | 66.1% | -5.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 66.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.5%, 2.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 66.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.0%, 2.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 58.6% | 34.1% | 90.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.2% | 51.3% | 96.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.1% | 66.1% | 85.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 19 Malaysia 72.0% compare
- 20 North Macedonia 68.3% compare
- 21 Lebanon 66.2% compare
- 23 Netherlands 65.0% compare
- 24 Seychelles 64.4% compare
- 25 Czechia 64.2% 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 value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Lesotho?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Lesotho was 66.1% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 96.1% in 2019.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.1% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Lesotho ranks 22nd out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).