Prices & public finance · Sub-Saharan Africa · Lower-middle income
Lesotho: prices, money and public finance
Inflation is 4.3% (2025), 51st of 180 in the world and 18th of 44 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GDP deflator is 3.0% (2025), 117th of 209 in the world and 30th of 46 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Lending rate is 11.2% (2024), 49th of 136 in the world and 19th of 36 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Inflation
LesothoSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
GDP deflator
LesothoSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
14 indicators
Prices & public finance: Lesotho in detail
Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Sub-Saharan Africa; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InflationInflation, consumer prices, annual % | 4.3%2025 | 51/180 | 18/44 | 6.1% | -2.4% | 5.0% | +1.1 ppsince 2015 | 3.4% | 3.6% | 3.0% | |
| GDP deflatorInflation, GDP deflator, annual % | 3.0%2025 | 117/209 | 30/46 | 6.3% | 5.3% | 6.5% | −7.2 ppsince 2015 | 4.1% | 5.0% | 3.3% | |
| Lending rateLending interest rate, % | 11.2%2024 | 49/136 | 19/36 | 17.1% | 11.2% | 9.0% | +0.9 ppsince 2014 | — | — | — | |
| Real interest rateReal interest rate, % | 4.9%2024 | 69/136 | 21/36 | 10.2% | 5.6% | 2.3% | +8.2 ppsince 2014 | — | — | — | |
| Exchange rateOfficial exchange rate, local currency per US$ | 17.892025 | 96/210 | 41/47 | 6.94 | 7.32 | 16.46 | +40%since 2015 | — | — | — | |
| Tax revenueTax revenue, % of GDP | 35.4%2024 | 1/142 | 1/32 | 22.9% | 30.3% | 36.0% | −0.9 ppsince 2014 | — | 12.1% | 13.9% | |
| Government revenueGovernment revenue excluding grants, % of GDP | 42.0%2024 | 10/142 | 1/32 | 29.4% | 41.3% | 41.4% | ±0.0 ppsince 2014 | — | 14.2% | 24.0% | |
| Government expenseGovernment expense, % of GDP | 40.2%2022 | 17/142 | 1/32 | 33.8% | 42.5% | 43.3% | +0.2 ppsince 2012 | — | 15.7% | 28.5% | |
| Government debtCentral government debt, % of GDP | 3.0%2020 | 77/78 | 15/15 | · | 29.6% | 3.0% | −26.6 ppsince 2010 | — | — | — | |
| External debtExternal debt stocks, % of GNI | 65.4%2024 | 34/119 | 11/43 | 68.1% | 27.4% | 71.2% | +31.8 ppsince 2014 | — | 30.1% | — | |
| Private creditDomestic credit to private sector, % of GDP | 24.3%2024 | 119/169 | 9/42 | 13.8% | 13.4% | 21.9% | +5.0 ppsince 2014 | 31.7% | 38.7% | 140.3% | |
| Broad moneyBroad money, % of GDP | 42.3%2020 | 104/146 | 13/42 | 27.6% | 39.5% | 42.3% | +2.8 ppsince 2010 | 42.6% | 67.4% | 135.7% | |
| Reserves, months of importsTotal reserves in months of imports | 5.52024 | 57/165 | 6/32 | 4.4 | 7.1 | 4.2 | −0.9%since 2014 | 6.1 | 7.7 | 8.6 | |
| Military spendingMilitary expenditure, % of GDP | 1.63%2025 | 81/156 | 16/45 | 3.28% | 3.16% | 1.88% | −0.2 ppsince 2015 | 1.13% | 1.92% | 2.48% |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.
Better than ten years ago
- Government debt−26.6 pp3.0% in 2020
Worse than ten years ago
- Inflation+1.1 pp4.3% in 2025
- External debt+31.8 pp65.4% in 2024
- Reserves, months of imports−0.9%5.5 in 2024
Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).
neighbours
Lesotho and its neighbours
Countries sharing a land border with Lesotho. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.
| Indicator | Lesotho | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Inflation | 4.3%2025 | 3.2%2025 |
| GDP deflator | 3.0%2025 | 2.8%2025 |
| Lending rate | 11.2%2024 | 10.7%2025 |
| Real interest rate | 4.9%2024 | 7.7%2025 |
| Exchange rate | 17.892025 | 17.892025 |
| Tax revenue | 35.4%2024 | 25.9%2024 |
| Government revenue | 42.0%2024 | 29.4%2024 |
| Government expense | 40.2%2022 | 33.4%2022 |
| Government debt | 3.0%2020 | 82.8%2024 |