Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) was 5.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
5.1%
Change on year
up 74.4%
World rank
44th
of 119 countries
All-time high
6.1%
in 2002
All-time low
0.1%
in 1977
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Total debt service in Lesotho, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of GNI.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 5.1% for total debt service in 2023.
The figure is up 74.4% on the previous year and up 201.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total debt service in Lesotho peaked at 6.1% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1977.
Lesotho ranks 44th of 119 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of GNI | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.6% | — |
| 1971 | 0.4% | -31.6% |
| 1972 | 0.4% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 0.4% | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 0.2% | -43.8% |
| 1975 | 0.4% | +102.4% |
| 1976 | 0.2% | -56.2% |
| 1977 | 0.1% | -32.8% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | +92.8% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | +95.2% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | +63.2% |
| 1981 | 0.8% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 1.4% | +83.7% |
| 1983 | 2.8% | +94.7% |
| 1984 | 2.2% | -22.9% |
| 1985 | 3.8% | +76.7% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | -33.9% |
| 1987 | 2.1% | -16.7% |
| 1988 | 3.0% | +43.9% |
| 1989 | 2.7% | -8.9% |
| 1990 | 2.4% | -11.3% |
| 1991 | 2.4% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 2.8% | +14.5% |
| 1993 | 2.8% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 2.5% | -12.1% |
| 1995 | 3.1% | +23.8% |
| 1996 | 3.0% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 3.6% | +19.9% |
| 1998 | 4.3% | +20.2% |
| 1999 | 4.6% | +6.0% |
| 2000 | 5.5% | +18.7% |
| 2001 | 5.8% | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 6.1% | +5.4% |
| 2003 | 4.1% | -33.2% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | -36.3% |
| 2005 | 3.6% | +41.2% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | -43.9% |
| 2007 | 4.2% | +105.2% |
| 2008 | 1.6% | -62.7% |
| 2009 | 1.7% | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 1.2% | -27.2% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | +8.5% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | +4.9% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | +21.7% |
| 2014 | 1.6% | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | +24.8% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | +20.0% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | -11.7% |
| 2018 | 2.6% | +22.2% |
| 2019 | 2.6% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | +13.1% |
| 2021 | 3.4% | +13.5% |
| 2022 | 2.9% | -14.5% |
| 2023 | 5.1% | +74.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 5.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.8%, 1.3× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 5.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.0%, 1.7× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.2% | 0.8% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.4% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 1.6% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.6% | 2.9% | 5.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
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)
- Population growth rate -0.201 (2100)
- Population density 107.36 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 190,191 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.201 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 2.27 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total debt service in Lesotho?
- Total debt service in Lesotho was 5.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total debt service recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 2002.
- What is the lowest total debt service recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1977.
- How does Lesotho rank for total debt service?
- Lesotho ranks 44th out of 119 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total debt service rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 201.2%. 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 Total debt service (% of GNI). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release