Total debt service in Lesotho
Lesotho: Total debt service was 6.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Total debt service in Lesotho, 1975–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of exports of goods, services and primary income.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 6.9% for total debt service in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.8% on the previous year and up 118.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total debt service in Lesotho peaked at 10.2% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1977.
That places Lesotho 100th out of 120 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total debt service in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of exports of goods, services and primary income | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.7% | — |
| 1976 | 0.3% | -55.8% |
| 1977 | 0.2% | -27.2% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | +104.6% |
| 1979 | 0.9% | +86.2% |
| 1980 | 1.5% | +71.7% |
| 1981 | 1.5% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 2.3% | +58.1% |
| 1983 | 4.7% | +101.7% |
| 1984 | 3.6% | -23.5% |
| 1985 | 6.7% | +86.6% |
| 1986 | 4.7% | -30.3% |
| 1987 | 3.5% | -25.0% |
| 1988 | 5.1% | +44.0% |
| 1989 | 4.7% | -8.1% |
| 1990 | 4.2% | -10.0% |
| 1991 | 4.5% | +7.4% |
| 1992 | 5.2% | +16.2% |
| 1993 | 5.3% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 5.4% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 6.1% | +12.8% |
| 1996 | 5.6% | -8.3% |
| 1997 | 6.5% | +16.8% |
| 1998 | 8.6% | +30.9% |
| 1999 | 10.2% | +18.8% |
| 2000 | 7.5% | -26.2% |
| 2001 | 8.2% | +8.9% |
| 2002 | 7.7% | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 5.5% | -29.4% |
| 2004 | 3.7% | -32.8% |
| 2005 | 5.7% | +55.7% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | -46.5% |
| 2007 | 5.9% | +93.1% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | -62.2% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | +16.3% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -19.4% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | +17.2% |
| 2013 | 3.2% | +31.5% |
| 2014 | 3.2% | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 3.8% | +19.8% |
| 2016 | 3.9% | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -15.0% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | +25.7% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | +6.8% |
| 2020 | 5.2% | +14.9% |
| 2021 | 5.9% | +14.5% |
| 2022 | 4.9% | -16.7% |
| 2023 | 8.9% | +81.1% |
| 2024 | 6.9% | -22.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 6.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.6%, 42% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 6.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.8%, 58% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 5 |
| 1980s | 3.8% | 1.5% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.2% | 4.2% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 2.2% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.3% | 2.1% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.4% | 4.9% | 8.9% | 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 total debt service in Lesotho?
- Total debt service in Lesotho was 6.9% in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest total debt service recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 10.2% in 1999.
- What is the lowest total debt service recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1977.
- How does Lesotho rank for total debt service?
- Lesotho ranks 100th out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total debt service rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 118.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Total debt service to exports of goods, services and primary income. Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF.