Lesotho
GDP growth in Lesotho
GDP growth in Lesotho: -0.8% a year in 1980 and 4.9% a year in 2024, by IMF estimates.
- Latest, 2024
- 4.9% a year
- Since 1980
- +5.7 percentage points
- Projected, 2031
- 1.5% a year
- IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts it at 1.5% a year in 2031.
- The highest was 7.9% a year in 1988, the lowest -8.6% a year in 2020.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Lesotho |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 4.9 |
| 2023 | 2.5 |
| 2022 | 1.6 |
| 2021 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | -8.6 |
| 2019 | -1.8 |
| 2018 | -1.3 |
| 2017 | -3.3 |
| 2016 | 2.3 |
| 2015 | 3.6 |
| 2014 | 1.5 |
| 2013 | 1.2 |
| 2012 | 4.7 |
| 2011 | 6.3 |
| 2010 | 5.1 |
| 2009 | 0.5 |
| 2008 | 2.7 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2006 | 4.2 |
| 2005 | 3.3 |
| 2004 | 2.1 |
| 2003 | 4.2 |
| 2002 | 2.4 |
| 2001 | 3.3 |
| 2000 | 4 |
| 1999 | 1.4 |
| 1998 | 1.3 |
| 1997 | 3.3 |
| 1996 | 4.8 |
| 1995 | 4.1 |
| 1994 | 5.2 |
| 1993 | 4 |
| 1992 | 6.1 |
| 1991 | 7.6 |
| 1990 | 6.4 |
| 1989 | 6 |
| 1988 | 7.9 |
| 1987 | 2.7 |
| 1986 | 3.8 |
| 1985 | 3 |
| 1984 | 4.8 |
| 1983 | 3 |
| 1982 | 5.6 |
| 1981 | 3.1 |
| 1980 | -0.8 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | Lesotho |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.5 |
| 2026 | 1.1 |
| 2027 | 0.8 |
| 2028 | 1.4 |
| 2029 | 1.5 |
| 2030 | 1.5 |
| 2031 | 1.5 |
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Lesotho in numbers
Every measure for Lesotho on one page
Health
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Economy
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Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending1.63% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$37.3M in 2025
- Military spending per person$17 in 2025
- Military share of state spending2.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel2,000 people in 2020
- National power0.01% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports1 million TIV in 2019