Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) was 70.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Manufactures exports in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 70.1% for manufactures exports in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.6% on the previous year and up 71.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufactures exports in Lesotho peaked at 94.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 40.8%, in 2014.
That places Lesotho 45th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 94.9% | — |
| 2001 | 82.7% | -12.9% |
| 2002 | 87.4% | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 90.7% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 94.5% | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 84.7% | -10.3% |
| 2008 | 86.7% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 87.7% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 77.5% | -11.6% |
| 2011 | 83.1% | +7.2% |
| 2012 | 80.1% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 68.1% | -15.0% |
| 2014 | 40.8% | -40.0% |
| 2015 | 52.3% | +28.2% |
| 2016 | 81.9% | +56.6% |
| 2017 | 81.1% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 86.4% | +6.6% |
| 2019 | 86.7% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 84.2% | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 82.5% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 80.0% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 79.2% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 70.1% | -11.6% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 70.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 22.3%, 3.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 70.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.5%, 7.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +56.6% | 52.3% | 81.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 88.6% | 82.7% | 94.9% | 8 |
| 2010s | 73.8% | 40.8% | 86.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.2% | 70.1% | 84.2% | 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)
- Commercial service imports 460.39 million current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 23.3% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 773.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 18.67 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufactures exports in Lesotho?
- Manufactures exports in Lesotho was 70.1% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest manufactures exports recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 94.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest manufactures exports recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.8% in 2014.
- How does Lesotho rank for manufactures exports?
- Lesotho ranks 45th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is manufactures exports rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 71.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Manufactures comprise commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 5 (chemicals), 6 (basic manufactures), 7 (machinery and transport equipment), and 8 (miscellaneous manufactured goods), excluding division 68 (non-ferrous metals). 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.