Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Lesotho
Lesotho: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP was 101.2% in 2014. ▲ Rising
Latest (2014)
101.2%
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
17th
of 193 countries
All-time high
160.3%
in 1982
All-time low
44.6%
in 1965
Years of data
55
1960–2014
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Lesotho, 1960–2014
Source: Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed 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 101.2%, measured in 2014.
That represents a change of up 2.1% on the previous year and down 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Lesotho peaked at 160.3% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 44.6%, in 1965.
Lesotho ranks 17th of 193 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 49.2% | — |
| 1961 | 56.0% | +14.0% |
| 1962 | 47.8% | -14.7% |
| 1963 | 46.8% | -2.1% |
| 1964 | 46.2% | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 44.6% | -3.4% |
| 1966 | 56.5% | +26.7% |
| 1967 | 56.2% | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 54.5% | -3.1% |
| 1969 | 50.7% | -6.9% |
| 1970 | 46.6% | -8.0% |
| 1971 | 51.2% | +9.7% |
| 1972 | 68.9% | +34.7% |
| 1973 | 72.6% | +5.3% |
| 1974 | 79.6% | +9.6% |
| 1975 | 109.7% | +37.8% |
| 1976 | 143.6% | +31.0% |
| 1977 | 121.0% | -15.8% |
| 1978 | 105.4% | -12.9% |
| 1979 | 112.9% | +7.1% |
| 1980 | 107.5% | -4.8% |
| 1981 | 118.8% | +10.5% |
| 1982 | 160.3% | +34.9% |
| 1983 | 136.4% | -14.9% |
| 1984 | 145.6% | +6.7% |
| 1985 | 138.5% | -4.9% |
| 1986 | 121.8% | -12.0% |
| 1987 | 127.0% | +4.2% |
| 1988 | 136.6% | +7.6% |
| 1989 | 136.7% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 123.4% | -9.7% |
| 1991 | 133.5% | +8.2% |
| 1992 | 124.8% | -6.6% |
| 1993 | 120.6% | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 116.4% | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 128.9% | +10.7% |
| 1996 | 138.0% | +7.1% |
| 1997 | 132.6% | -3.9% |
| 1998 | 114.8% | -13.4% |
| 1999 | 108.0% | -5.9% |
| 2000 | 104.9% | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 105.2% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 124.1% | +18.0% |
| 2003 | 115.7% | -6.8% |
| 2004 | 116.7% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 103.1% | -11.7% |
| 2006 | 105.0% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 108.8% | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 110.4% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 108.1% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 105.1% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 99.1% | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 109.1% | +10.1% |
| 2013 | 99.2% | -9.1% |
| 2014 | 101.2% | +2.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 101.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 42.3%, 2.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 101.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 34.7%, 2.9× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 50.9% | 44.6% | 56.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 91.1% | 46.6% | 143.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 132.9% | 107.5% | 160.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 124.1% | 108.0% | 138.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 110.2% | 103.1% | 124.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 102.7% | 99.1% | 109.1% | 5 |
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 value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Lesotho?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Lesotho was 101.2% in 2014, according to Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed 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 160.3% in 1982.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.6% in 1965.
- How does Lesotho rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Lesotho ranks 17th out of 193 countries with data for 2014.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimates correspond to merchandise import-to-GDP ratios for countries and regions. All ratios are taken at current prices. See source for more details.