New business density (new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64) in Lesotho
Lesotho: New business density (new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64) was 1.47 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
1.47 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64
Change on year
down 32.1%
World rank
113th
of 177 countries
All-time high
2.85 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64
in 2018
All-time low
0.7722 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64
in 2006
Years of data
15
2006–2020
New business density in Lesotho, 2006–2020
Source: Entrepreneurship Database, World Bank (WB). Measured in new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 1.47 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 for new business density in 2020.
The figure is down 32.1% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, new business density in Lesotho peaked at 2.85 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.7722 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64, in 2006.
That places Lesotho 113th out of 177 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
New business density (new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 0.7722 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | — |
| 2007 | 0.9104 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +17.9% |
| 2008 | 1.21 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +32.6% |
| 2009 | 1.28 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 1.45 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +13.4% |
| 2011 | 1.32 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -9.4% |
| 2012 | 1.48 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +12.6% |
| 2013 | 1.66 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +11.9% |
| 2014 | 1.56 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -5.9% |
| 2015 | 2.05 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +31.5% |
| 2016 | 1.81 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -11.7% |
| 2017 | 1.9 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +4.6% |
| 2018 | 2.85 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +50.1% |
| 2019 | 2.16 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -24.1% |
| 2020 | 1.47 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -32.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 1.47 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.07 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64, 1.4× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 1.47 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.04 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64, 1.4× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.04 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 0.7722 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 1.28 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 4 |
| 2010s | 1.83 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 1.32 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 2.85 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.47 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 1.47 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 1.47 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 110 Laos 1.57 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 111 Angola 1.55 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 112 Zambia 1.5 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 114 Dominican Republic 1.45 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 115 Germany 1.44 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 116 Gambia 1.4 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 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)
- Commercial service imports 460.39 million current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 23.3% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 70.1% (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is new business density in Lesotho?
- New business density in Lesotho was 1.47 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2020, according to Entrepreneurship Database, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest new business density recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 2.85 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2018.
- What is the lowest new business density recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7722 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for new business density?
- Lesotho ranks 113th out of 177 countries with data for 2020.
- Is new business density rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Entrepreneurship Database, World Bank (WB), published as part of New business density (new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The number of newly registered firms with limited liability per 1,000 working-age people (ages 15-64) per calendar year.