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Lesotho GDP and Economic Data

Country Report 2017 - Includes Lesotho real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Lesotho economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Lesotho best banks and safest banks are also available.

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Central bank

Central Bank of Lesotho

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International Reserves

USD 0.9 billion (2015)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved January 2017

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Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 1.9 billion (2017, estimate)

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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 6.4 billion (2017, estimate)

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Real GDP growth
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
4.4% 5% 5.1% 4.5% 6.9% 4.5% 5.3%
2013 2014 2015* 2016* 2017*    
3.6% 3.5% 2.8% 2.4% 3.8%    

*Estimate

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GDP per capita - current prices

USD 983.6 (2017, estimate)

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GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 3,287.4 (2017, estimate)

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GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2017*
0.0% 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.005%

*Estimate

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GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 7.3% 
  • industry: 31.1% 
  • services: 61.5%

(2016 estimate)

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Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

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Inflation
2013 2014 2015* 2016* 2017*
5.0% 4.0% 5.3% 8.6% 6.0%

*Estimate

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Unemployment rate
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

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Household saving rates

N/A

 

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Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2013 2014 2015 2016* 2017*
43.4% 49.5% 58.3% 58.8% 56.2%

*Estimate

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Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2013 2014 2015 2016* 2017*
-2.5% 2.1% 0.1% -9.3% -5.8%

*Estimate

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Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)

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Market value of publicly traded shares
2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A
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Largest companies

N/A

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Current account balance

USD -0.2 billion (2017 estimate)

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Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-9.0% (2017 estimate)

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Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

N/A

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Shares in world total merchandising export

0.005% (2015)

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Shares in world total commercial services export

0.0% (2014)

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Total exports

USD 851.6 million (2016 estimate)

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Export commodities

Manufactures (clothing, footwear), wool and mohair, food and live animals, electricity, water, diamonds

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Total imports

USD 1.7 billion (2016 estimate)

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Import commodities

Food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products

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Exports - major partners

N/A

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Imports - major partners

N/A

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FDI inflows
2013 2014 2015
USD 123 million USD 162 million USD 169 million
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FDI outflows
2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A
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Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2012 2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A N/A
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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

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Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 100 out of 190 countries (2017)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 117 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 94 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 108 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 82 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 106 out of 190 countries

Trading Across Borders: 39 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 91 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 171 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 150 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 121 out of 190 countries

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Global competitiveness ranking

120 out of 138 countries

(2016-2017)

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Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 152 / Score: 50.62 (Mostly unfree) (2016)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

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Time zone

UTC+2

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Total area

30,355 sq km

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Capital

Maseru

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Currency

Maloti (LSL)

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Government type

Parliamentary constitutional monarchy

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Languages

Sesotho (official) (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa

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Religions

Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%

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Total population
1990 2000 2010* 2016* 2021*
1.603 million 1.861 million 1.908 million 1.937 million 1.961 million

*Estimate 

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Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2015
4% 12% 20% 27%
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Population median age

24 years (2016 estimate)

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Population growth rate

0.3% (2016 estimate)

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Life expectancy

53 years (2016 estimate)

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Literacy

Total population: 79.4%
Male: 70.1%
Female: 88.3% (2015 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write)

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% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

46.6% (2010)

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Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

54.2 (2010)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

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Freedom House rating

Political Rights: 3
Civil Liberties: 3 (2017)                         

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

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Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed 1.91%   Mobile 100.94% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

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Internet users as % of total population

16.07% (2015)

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Mercer Cost of living index

N/A

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CO2 emissions

1.1 (2013)

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