Lesotho: Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Lesotho's fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) fell 1.57 percentage points on 2023 (from 16.9% to 15.33%).

Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was −0.23 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.53 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.36 percentage points in 2014 and the biggest yearly fall was 12.91 percentage points in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.42 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 44% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Lesotho had the 20th highest value of the 36 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Lesotho in the 2024 ranking

• Bahamas, The — 17th of 36: 16.28%
• Namibia — 18th of 36: 15.87%
• Uganda — 19th of 36: 15.67%
• Cabo Verde — 21st of 36: 14.36%
• Uruguay — 22nd of 36: 14.23%
• Benin — 23rd of 36: 13.65%

What this measures

Fuels comprise the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) section 3 (mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a 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.

Limitations: Previous editions contained data based on the SITC revision 1. Data for earlier years in previous editions may differ because of the change in methodology. Concordance tables are available to convert data reported in one system to another.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 23 values

Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) in nearby economies

• Angola — 16.4% (2025)
• Benin — 13.65% (2024)
• Botswana — 20.49% (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 41.15% (2024)
• Burundi — 22.15% (2023)
• Cabo Verde — 14.36% (2024)
• Cameroon — 24.18% (2023)
• Central African Republic — 26.48% (2024)
• Comoros — 10.23% (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 19.04% (2024)

More private sector & trade data for Lesotho

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 102.89% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$1.88 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$773 million (2025)
• Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service imports) — 2.34% (2025)
• Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) — 8.72% (2025)
• Commercial service imports (current US$) — US$460.39 million (2025)
• Transport services (% of commercial service imports) — 11.28% (2025)
• Travel services (% of commercial service imports) — 77.67% (2025)
• Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service exports)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Lesotho's fuel imports (% of merchandise imports)?

15.33% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is down 3.6 percentage points from 18.93% in 2000. The highest value was 18.93% in 2000 and the lowest 6.02% in 2001.

How does Lesotho rank?

20th highest of 36 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) unusual for Lesotho?

In 2024, Lesotho's fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) fell 1.57 percentage points on 2023 (from 16.9% to 15.33%). Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was −0.23 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.53 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TM.VAL.FUEL.ZS.UN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division; World Integrated Trade Solution system (WITS); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) 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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.