Transport services in Lesotho
Lesotho: Transport services was 11.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Transport services in Lesotho, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service imports.
Analysis
In 2025, transport services in Lesotho stood at 11.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.1% on the previous year and down 46.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, transport services in Lesotho peaked at 65.6% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 1983.
That places Lesotho 188th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Transport services in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 51.8% | — |
| 1976 | 57.0% | +9.9% |
| 1977 | 57.6% | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 58.7% | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 60.5% | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 59.6% | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 65.6% | +10.1% |
| 1982 | 2.7% | -96.0% |
| 1983 | 2.6% | -2.9% |
| 1984 | 3.0% | +14.9% |
| 1985 | 3.0% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 3.2% | +6.0% |
| 1987 | 3.1% | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 4.2% | +36.0% |
| 1989 | 4.2% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 3.9% | -9.2% |
| 1991 | 4.1% | +7.3% |
| 1992 | 3.8% | -7.6% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | -7.9% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | -19.7% |
| 1995 | 3.3% | +15.1% |
| 1996 | 3.1% | -5.3% |
| 1997 | 4.0% | +28.3% |
| 1998 | 4.7% | +18.9% |
| 1999 | 4.8% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 7.2% | +49.9% |
| 2001 | 8.3% | +15.0% |
| 2002 | 10.8% | +30.5% |
| 2003 | 10.2% | -5.8% |
| 2004 | 10.8% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 11.5% | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 10.4% | -9.8% |
| 2007 | 12.4% | +19.0% |
| 2008 | 12.7% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 11.6% | -8.4% |
| 2010 | 16.3% | +40.1% |
| 2011 | 16.0% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 17.6% | +9.9% |
| 2013 | 17.6% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 18.6% | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 21.2% | +13.6% |
| 2016 | 13.8% | -34.6% |
| 2017 | 13.3% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 12.8% | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 12.4% | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 12.6% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 13.2% | +5.1% |
| 2022 | 12.4% | -6.7% |
| 2023 | 12.3% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 12.5% | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 11.3% | -10.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 57.1% | 51.8% | 60.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 15.1% | 2.6% | 65.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.8% | 2.8% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.6% | 7.2% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.0% | 12.4% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.4% | 11.3% | 13.2% | 6 |
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)
- 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 transport services in Lesotho?
- Transport services in Lesotho was 11.3% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest transport services recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 65.6% in 1981.
- What is the lowest transport services recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 1983.
- How does Lesotho rank for transport services?
- Lesotho ranks 188th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is transport services rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Transport services (% of commercial service imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Transport is the process of carriage of people and objects from one location to another as well as related supporting and auxiliary services. Also included are postal and courier services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are commercial services provided by non-residents to residents.