Trade in Lesotho
Lesotho: Trade was 154.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Trade in Lesotho, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, trade in Lesotho stood at 154.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 18.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in Lesotho peaked at 165.0% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 50.2%, in 1960.
That places Lesotho 21st out of 192 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Trade in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 50.2% | — |
| 1961 | 58.0% | +15.6% |
| 1962 | 62.2% | +7.2% |
| 1963 | 65.8% | +5.7% |
| 1964 | 65.0% | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 68.9% | +6.0% |
| 1966 | 67.4% | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 68.7% | +2.0% |
| 1968 | 67.2% | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 65.2% | -3.1% |
| 1970 | 61.1% | -6.2% |
| 1971 | 67.6% | +10.7% |
| 1972 | 85.2% | +26.0% |
| 1973 | 82.0% | -3.7% |
| 1974 | 90.7% | +10.6% |
| 1975 | 118.4% | +30.5% |
| 1976 | 156.5% | +32.2% |
| 1977 | 124.3% | -20.6% |
| 1978 | 107.9% | -13.3% |
| 1979 | 145.7% | +35.1% |
| 1980 | 131.1% | -10.0% |
| 1981 | 136.3% | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 165.0% | +21.1% |
| 2008 | 161.1% | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 158.9% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 150.1% | -5.5% |
| 2011 | 149.8% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 150.2% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 133.4% | -11.2% |
| 2014 | 126.3% | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 129.7% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 136.3% | +5.1% |
| 2017 | 146.4% | +7.4% |
| 2018 | 144.4% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 140.5% | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 141.1% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 139.2% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 142.4% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 140.7% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 152.5% | +8.4% |
| 2025 | 154.0% | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 63.9% | 50.2% | 68.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 104.0% | 61.1% | 156.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 133.7% | 131.1% | 136.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 161.7% | 158.9% | 165.0% | 3 |
| 2010s | 140.7% | 126.3% | 150.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 145.0% | 139.2% | 154.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More economy & growth data for Lesotho
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.9379 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per capita 1,021 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), annual growth rate 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), per unit of GDP 8.63 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), per capita 9,403 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), annual growth rate -25.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), per unit of GDP -0.3319 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), per capita -361.45 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current LCU), annual growth rate -22.31 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in Lesotho?
- Trade in Lesotho was 154.0% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest trade recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 165.0% in 2007.
- What is the lowest trade recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.2% in 1960.
- How does Lesotho rank for trade?
- Lesotho ranks 21st out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of Trade (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Trade is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.