Lesotho: GDP deflator, linked series (base year varies by country)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Lesotho's GDP deflator, linked series (base year varies by country) rose 3% on 2024 (from 201.14 to 207.17).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +6.9% and a typical year strayed about 5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 17.8% in 1991 and the biggest yearly fall was 6.7% in 2007. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 7.8 a year. A straight line explains 98% 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.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 230.53 for 2028. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2023 to 2025 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 7.05, against 10.2 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2025, Lesotho had the 43rd highest value of the 186 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 2025 ranking

• Naoero — 40th of 186: 208.82
• Russian Federation — 41st of 186: 208.82
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 42nd of 186: 208.5
• North Macedonia — 44th of 186: 198.34
• Moldova — 45th of 186: 198.04
• Peru — 46th of 186: 197.2

What this measures

The GDP implicit deflator is the ratio of GDP in current local currency to GDP in constant local currency. The base year varies by country. This series has been linked to produce a consistent time series to counteract breaks in series over time due to changes in base years, source data and methodologies. Thus, it may not be comparable with other national accounts series in the database for historical years. This indicator is expressed as a ratio (a÷b).

All 36 values

GDP deflator, linked series (base year varies by country) in nearby economies

• Angola — 766.8 (2025)
• Benin — 116.78 (2025)
• Botswana — 136.44 (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 143.53 (2025)
• Burundi — 718.81 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 121.54 (2025)
• Cameroon — 129.49 (2025)
• Central African Republic — 213.73 (2025)
• Chad — 120.67 (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

• 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 GDP deflator, linked series (base year varies by country)?

207.17 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is up 1,094% from 17.35 in 1990 (7.34% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 207.17 in 2025 and the lowest 17.35 in 1990.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NY.GDP.DEFL.ZS.AD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB); National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); World Economic Outlook 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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