Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Lesotho
Lesotho: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region was 0.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Lesotho, 2000–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Lesotho is 0.4%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 8.0% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Lesotho peaked at 1.3% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2014.
Lesotho ranks 196th of 206 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.1% | — |
| 2001 | 0.1% | +13.8% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | -81.2% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | +11.2% |
| 2006 | 0.0% | +14.3% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | +1112.7% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | +177.7% |
| 2010 | 1.0% | +78.0% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | +35.3% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | -79.5% |
| 2013 | 0.4% | +49.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0% | -98.5% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | +2236.2% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | +340.3% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | -74.9% |
| 2018 | 0.3% | +100.2% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | +97.3% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | +96.1% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | -22.3% |
| 2022 | 0.4% | -53.3% |
| 2023 | 0.4% | -8.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 0.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 19.4%, 2% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 0.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22.0%, 2% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +2236.2% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2008 | +1112.7% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 7 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.0% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 1.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 193 Vanuatu 0.6% compare
- 194 Eswatini 0.6% compare
- 195 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.5% compare
- 197 El Salvador 0.3% compare
- 198 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.3% compare
- 199 Greenland 0.3% compare
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)
- Food exports 23.3% (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Lesotho?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Lesotho was 0.4% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 1.3% in 2011.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2014.
- How does Lesotho rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region?
- Lesotho ranks 196th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to other low- and middle-income economies in other World Bank regions according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise exports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.