Lesotho: Broad money (annual % growth)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Lesotho's broad money (annual % growth) rose 26.11 percentage points on 2019 (from -8.99% to 17.12%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was −0.77 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 13.58 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 30.36 percentage points in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 20.68 percentage points in 1999. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

Closest to Lesotho in the 2020 ranking

• Sudan — 1st of 6: 87.99%
• Myanmar — 2nd of 6: 18.18%
• Russian Federation — 4th of 6: 16.66%
• Singapore — 5th of 6: 13.19%
• Afghanistan — 6th of 6: 12.06%

What this measures

Broad money is the sum of all liquid financial instruments held by money-holding sectors that are widely accepted in an economy as a medium of exchange, plus those that can be converted into a medium of exchange at short notice at, or close to, their full nominal value. This indicator denotes the percentage change over each previous year of the constant price (base year 2015) series in United States dollars.

Limitations: Monetary accounts are derived from the balance sheets of financial institutions - the central bank, commercial banks, and nonbank financial intermediaries. Although these balance sheets are usually reliable, they are subject to errors of classification, valuation, and timing and to differences in accounting practices. For example, whether interest income is recorded on an accrual or a cash basis can make a substantial difference, as can the treatment of nonperforming assets. Valuation errors typically arise for foreign exchange transactions, particularly in countries with flexible exchange rates or in countries that have undergone currency devaluation during the reporting period.

All 40 values

Broad money (annual % growth) in nearby economies

• Angola — 8.52% (2025)
• Benin — 15.43% (2025)
• Botswana — 4.8% (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 17.38% (2025)
• Burundi — 19.81% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 9.22% (2025)
• Cameroon — 13.94% (2018)
• Central African Republic — 2.49% (2022)
• Chad — 13.63% (2021)
• Comoros — 18.04% (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — -9.63% (2025)

More financial sector data for Lesotho

• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 207.17 (2025)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$17.89 (2025)
• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$17.89 (2025)
• Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth) — 3% (2025)
• Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP) — 23.84% (2024)
• Monetary sector credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 24.3% (2024)
• Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 24.3% (2024)
• Consumer price index (2010 = 100) — 221.03 (2025)
• Inflation, consumer prices (annual % growth) — 4.27% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Lesotho's broad money (annual % growth)?

17.12% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1981?

It is down 8.45 percentage points from 25.57% in 1981. The highest value was 35.31% in 2006 and the lowest -8.99% in 2019.

Is the latest change in broad money (annual % growth) unusual for Lesotho?

In 2020, Lesotho's broad money (annual % growth) rose 26.11 percentage points on 2019 (from -8.99% to 17.12%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was −0.77 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 13.58 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FM.LBL.BMNY.ZG, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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