Food exports in Lesotho
Lesotho: Food exports was 23.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Food exports in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food exports in Lesotho is 23.3%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 66.5% on the previous year and up 156.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food exports in Lesotho peaked at 25.6% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 2000.
That places Lesotho 71st out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Food exports in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.2% | — |
| 2001 | 14.3% | +564.9% |
| 2002 | 7.2% | -50.1% |
| 2003 | 8.6% | +20.4% |
| 2004 | 4.7% | -45.8% |
| 2007 | 11.2% | +140.0% |
| 2008 | 9.6% | -14.0% |
| 2009 | 8.6% | -11.1% |
| 2010 | 16.4% | +91.5% |
| 2011 | 13.0% | -21.0% |
| 2012 | 13.6% | +4.7% |
| 2013 | 25.6% | +88.5% |
| 2014 | 9.1% | -64.5% |
| 2015 | 9.6% | +5.9% |
| 2016 | 12.0% | +25.0% |
| 2017 | 12.5% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 10.0% | -19.7% |
| 2019 | 8.5% | -15.7% |
| 2020 | 10.0% | +18.0% |
| 2021 | 11.5% | +15.5% |
| 2022 | 13.9% | +20.6% |
| 2023 | 14.0% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 23.3% | +66.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.3% | 2.2% | 14.3% | 8 |
| 2010s | 13.0% | 8.5% | 25.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.5% | 10.0% | 23.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More private sector data for Lesotho
- Merchandise trade 102.9% (2025)
- Food imports 23.0% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 59.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 1.88 billion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures exports 70.1% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 773.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 327.08 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3004 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 793.38 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food exports in Lesotho?
- Food exports in Lesotho was 23.3% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food exports recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 25.6% in 2013.
- What is the lowest food exports recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for food exports?
- Lesotho ranks 71st out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is food exports rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 156.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Food exports (% of merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Food comprises the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 0 (food and live animals), 1 (beverages and tobacco), and 4 (animal and vegetable oils and fats) and division 22 (oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise exports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.