Personal remittances, received (current US$) (Personal IMF balance) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Personal remittances, received (current US$) (Personal IMF balance) was 535.01 million current US$ in 2025. ▼ Falling
Personal remittances, received in Lesotho, 1975–2025
Source: IMF balance of payments data, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 535.01 million current US$ for personal remittances, received in 2025.
The figure is up 12.4% on the previous year and up 53.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, personal remittances, received in Lesotho peaked at 1.13 billion current US$ in 1994 and was at its lowest, 121.70 million current US$, in 1975.
That places Lesotho 123rd out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Personal remittances, received (current US$) (Personal IMF balance) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 121.70 million current US$ | — |
| 1976 | 138.00 million current US$ | +13.4% |
| 1977 | 165.14 million current US$ | +19.7% |
| 1978 | 177.44 million current US$ | +7.5% |
| 1979 | 212.47 million current US$ | +19.7% |
| 1980 | 263.21 million current US$ | +23.9% |
| 1981 | 290.57 million current US$ | +10.4% |
| 1982 | 809.85 million current US$ | +178.7% |
| 1983 | 883.40 million current US$ | +9.1% |
| 1984 | 766.49 million current US$ | -13.2% |
| 1985 | 581.12 million current US$ | -24.2% |
| 1986 | 616.68 million current US$ | +6.1% |
| 1987 | 950.24 million current US$ | +54.1% |
| 1988 | 869.49 million current US$ | -8.5% |
| 1989 | 879.82 million current US$ | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 998.59 million current US$ | +13.5% |
| 1991 | 1.02 billion current US$ | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 1.12 billion current US$ | +9.7% |
| 1993 | 1.04 billion current US$ | -7.5% |
| 1994 | 1.13 billion current US$ | +9.2% |
| 1995 | 1.09 billion current US$ | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 930.88 million current US$ | -14.3% |
| 1997 | 873.84 million current US$ | -6.1% |
| 1998 | 631.20 million current US$ | -27.8% |
| 1999 | 524.89 million current US$ | -16.8% |
| 2000 | 477.60 million current US$ | -9.0% |
| 2001 | 401.26 million current US$ | -16.0% |
| 2002 | 388.68 million current US$ | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 556.87 million current US$ | +43.3% |
| 2004 | 627.15 million current US$ | +12.6% |
| 2005 | 599.36 million current US$ | -4.4% |
| 2006 | 613.86 million current US$ | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 638.15 million current US$ | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 575.86 million current US$ | -9.8% |
| 2009 | 547.93 million current US$ | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 610.13 million current US$ | +11.4% |
| 2011 | 649.34 million current US$ | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 554.56 million current US$ | -14.6% |
| 2013 | 462.92 million current US$ | -16.5% |
| 2014 | 406.19 million current US$ | -12.3% |
| 2015 | 347.82 million current US$ | -14.4% |
| 2016 | 455.33 million current US$ | +30.9% |
| 2017 | 547.03 million current US$ | +20.1% |
| 2018 | 572.52 million current US$ | +4.7% |
| 2019 | 529.05 million current US$ | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 449.89 million current US$ | -15.0% |
| 2021 | 474.47 million current US$ | +5.5% |
| 2022 | 532.60 million current US$ | +12.3% |
| 2023 | 479.75 million current US$ | -9.9% |
| 2024 | 475.82 million current US$ | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 535.01 million current US$ | +12.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 535.01 million current US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.25 billion current US$, 43% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 535.01 million current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 403.52 million current US$, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Personal remittances, received (current US$) (Personal IMF balance) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | +178.7% | 290.57 million current US$ | 809.85 million current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 162.95 million current US$ | 121.70 million current US$ | 212.47 million current US$ | 5 |
| 1980s | 691.09 million current US$ | 263.21 million current US$ | 950.24 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 935.90 million current US$ | 524.89 million current US$ | 1.13 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 542.67 million current US$ | 388.68 million current US$ | 638.15 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 513.49 million current US$ | 347.82 million current US$ | 649.34 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 491.26 million current US$ | 449.89 million current US$ | 535.01 million current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
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 personal remittances, received in Lesotho?
- Personal remittances, received in Lesotho was 535.01 million current US$ in 2025, according to IMF balance of payments data, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest personal remittances, received recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 1.13 billion current US$ in 1994.
- What is the lowest personal remittances, received recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 121.70 million current US$ in 1975.
- How does Lesotho rank for personal remittances, received?
- Lesotho ranks 123rd out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is personal remittances, received rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from IMF balance of payments data, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Personal remittances, received (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Personal remittances comprise personal transfers and compensation of employees. Personal transfers consist of all current transfers in cash or in kind made or received by resident households to or from nonresident households. Personal transfers thus include all current transfers between resident and nonresident individuals. Compensation of employees refers to the income of border, seasonal, and other short-term workers who are employed in an economy where they are not resident and of residents employed by nonresident entities. Data are the sum of two items defined in the sixth edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments Manual: personal transfers and compensation of employees. Data are in current U.S. dollars.