General government total expenditure (current LCU) in Lesotho
Lesotho: General government total expenditure (current LCU) was 26.37 billion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
26.37 billion current LCU
Change on year
up 11.4%
World rank
145th
of 197 countries
All-time high
26.37 billion current LCU
in 2025
All-time low
0 current LCU
in 1980
Years of data
46
1980–2025
General government total expenditure in Lesotho, 1980–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
In 2025, general government total expenditure in Lesotho stood at 26.37 billion current LCU. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.4% on the previous year and up 67.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, general government total expenditure in Lesotho peaked at 26.37 billion current LCU in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 current LCU, in 1980.
That places Lesotho 145th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
General government total expenditure (current LCU) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0 current LCU | — |
| 1981 | 0 current LCU | — |
| 1982 | 130.00 million current LCU | — |
| 1983 | 133.00 million current LCU | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 152.00 million current LCU | +14.3% |
| 1985 | 227.00 million current LCU | +49.3% |
| 1986 | 273.00 million current LCU | +20.3% |
| 1987 | 389.00 million current LCU | +42.5% |
| 1988 | 432.00 million current LCU | +11.1% |
| 1989 | 525.00 million current LCU | +21.5% |
| 1990 | 575.00 million current LCU | +9.5% |
| 1991 | 662.00 million current LCU | +15.1% |
| 1992 | 894.00 million current LCU | +35.0% |
| 1993 | 1.04 billion current LCU | +16.7% |
| 1994 | 1.33 billion current LCU | +27.9% |
| 1995 | 1.60 billion current LCU | +20.2% |
| 1996 | 1.77 billion current LCU | +10.7% |
| 1997 | 2.15 billion current LCU | +21.4% |
| 1998 | 2.74 billion current LCU | +27.4% |
| 1999 | 2.94 billion current LCU | +7.1% |
| 2000 | 2.51 billion current LCU | -14.6% |
| 2001 | 3.06 billion current LCU | +21.7% |
| 2002 | 3.43 billion current LCU | +12.2% |
| 2003 | 3.58 billion current LCU | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 3.62 billion current LCU | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 4.16 billion current LCU | +14.9% |
| 2006 | 5.23 billion current LCU | +25.6% |
| 2007 | 6.03 billion current LCU | +15.3% |
| 2008 | 7.91 billion current LCU | +31.2% |
| 2009 | 10.07 billion current LCU | +27.2% |
| 2010 | 9.38 billion current LCU | -6.9% |
| 2011 | 11.51 billion current LCU | +22.8% |
| 2012 | 12.19 billion current LCU | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 13.86 billion current LCU | +13.7% |
| 2014 | 13.73 billion current LCU | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 15.71 billion current LCU | +14.4% |
| 2016 | 16.78 billion current LCU | +6.8% |
| 2017 | 15.89 billion current LCU | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 17.66 billion current LCU | +11.1% |
| 2019 | 18.40 billion current LCU | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 18.64 billion current LCU | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 19.52 billion current LCU | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 19.66 billion current LCU | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 20.48 billion current LCU | +4.2% |
| 2024 | 23.66 billion current LCU | +15.5% |
| 2025 | 26.37 billion current LCU | +11.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 26.37 billion current LCU is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 266.34 billion current LCU, 10% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 26.37 billion current LCU is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.93 trillion current LCU, 1% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 226.10 million current LCU | 0 current LCU | 525.00 million current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.57 billion current LCU | 575.00 million current LCU | 2.94 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.96 billion current LCU | 2.51 billion current LCU | 10.07 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.51 billion current LCU | 9.38 billion current LCU | 18.40 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.39 billion current LCU | 18.64 billion current LCU | 26.37 billion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 142 Georgia 30.84 billion current LCU compare
- 143 Puerto Rico 29.01 billion current LCU compare
- 144 Papua New Guinea 27.71 billion current LCU compare
- 146 Bosnia and Herzegovina 25.65 billion current LCU compare
- 147 Kuwait 24.59 billion current LCU compare
- 148 Panama 19.59 billion current LCU compare
More population data for Lesotho
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3315 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6353 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 107.36 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 190,191 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 3.4 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is general government total expenditure in Lesotho?
- General government total expenditure in Lesotho was 26.37 billion current LCU in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest general government total expenditure recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 26.37 billion current LCU in 2025.
- What is the lowest general government total expenditure recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 current LCU in 1980.
- How does Lesotho rank for general government total expenditure?
- Lesotho ranks 145th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is general government total expenditure rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 67.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of General government total expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release