Spirits consumption per person in Lesotho
Lesotho: Spirits consumption per person was 0.449 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
0.449 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
121st
of 187 countries
All-time high
0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year
in 2000
All-time low
0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year
in 1961
Years of data
61
1961–2022
Spirits consumption per person in Lesotho, 1961–2022
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Litres of pure alcohol per person per year.
Analysis
The most recent figure for spirits consumption per person in Lesotho is 0.449 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, spirits consumption per person in Lesotho peaked at 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year, in 1961.
That places Lesotho 121st out of 187 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Spirits consumption per person in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1962 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1963 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1964 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1965 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1966 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1967 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1968 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1969 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1970 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1971 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1973 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1974 | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1975 | 0.25 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1976 | 0.24 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -4.0% |
| 1977 | 0.27 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +12.5% |
| 1978 | 0.28 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +3.7% |
| 1979 | 0.18 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -35.7% |
| 1980 | 0.18 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.17 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -5.6% |
| 1982 | 0.17 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.33 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +94.1% |
| 1984 | 0.44 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +33.3% |
| 1985 | 0.1 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -77.3% |
| 1986 | 0.39 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +290.0% |
| 1987 | 0.38 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 0.37 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 0.36 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 0.45 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +25.0% |
| 1991 | 0.45 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.44 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 0.43 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 0.43 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.42 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 0.41 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 0.4 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 0.38 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -5.0% |
| 1999 | 0.37 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +59.0% |
| 2001 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.5817 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 0.4512 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -22.4% |
| 2013 | 0.3714 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -17.7% |
| 2014 | 0.3527 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -5.0% |
| 2015 | 0.5103 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +44.7% |
| 2016 | 0.2958 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -42.0% |
| 2017 | 0.372 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +25.8% |
| 2018 | 0.2996 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -19.5% |
| 2019 | 0.4505 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +50.4% |
| 2020 | 0.502 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +11.4% |
| 2021 | 0.449 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -10.6% |
| 2022 | 0.449 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 0.449 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3985 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 0.449 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.292 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Spirits consumption per person 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +290.0% | 0.1 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.39 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year |
| 1983 | +94.1% | 0.17 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.33 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year |
| 1985 | -77.3% | 0.44 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.1 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year |
| 2000 | +59.0% | 0.37 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year |
| 2019 | +50.4% | 0.2996 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.4505 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year |
| 2015 | +44.7% | 0.3527 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.5103 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.1356 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.28 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 9 |
| 1980s | 0.289 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.1 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.44 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.418 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.37 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.45 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4273 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.2958 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4667 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.449 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.502 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 3 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 118 Bolivia 0.5066 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
- 119 Cameroon 0.4913 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
- 120 Italy 0.46 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
- 122 Uganda 0.4457 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
- 123 Guinea-Bissau 0.4394 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
- 124 Congo 0.414 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
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 spirits consumption per person in Lesotho?
- Spirits consumption per person in Lesotho was 0.449 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in 2022, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest spirits consumption per person recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5881 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in 2000.
- What is the lowest spirits consumption per person recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in 1961.
- How does Lesotho rank for spirits consumption per person?
- Lesotho ranks 121st out of 187 countries with data for 2022.
- Is spirits consumption per person rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Spirits consumption per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Spirit consumption per person, measured in liters of pure alcohol per year. Spirits are distilled alcoholic drinks and include gin, rum, whisky, tequila and vodka.