Lesotho: Goods and services expense (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Lesotho's goods and services expense (current LCU) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 2.38 billion to 2.38 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +10% and a typical year strayed about 18.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 60.4% in 1983 and the biggest yearly fall was 26.3% in 2020. 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 downward, about 101.72 million a year. A straight line explains 51% 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 77th highest value of the 89 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

• Slovenia — 74th of 89: 3.09 billion
• Bulgaria — 75th of 89: 2.84 billion
• Luxembourg — 76th of 89: 2.74 billion
• El Salvador — 78th of 89: 2.32 billion
• Lithuania — 79th of 89: 1.89 billion
• Malta — 80th of 89: 1.59 billion

What this measures

Goods and services include all government payments in exchange for goods and services used for the production of market and nonmarket goods and services. Use of goods and services for account capital formation is excluded. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 41 values

Goods and services expense (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — 5.12 trillion (2024)
• Botswana — 17.92 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 313.6 billion (2024)
• Burundi — 178.07 billion (2021)
• Cabo Verde — 11.14 billion (2020)
• Cameroon — 1.04 trillion (2021)
• Central African Republic — 51.58 billion (2021)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 4.84 trillion (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 359 billion (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 1.42 trillion (2023)

More public sector data for Lesotho

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 39.91 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 713.78 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.63% (2025)
• Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 7.98 billion (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (current LCU) — 7.69 billion (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (% of industry and services value added) — 22.08% (2024)
• Customs and other import duties (current LCU) — 3.04 billion (2024)
• Customs and other import duties (% of tax revenue) — 19.61% (2024)
• Taxes on international trade (current LCU) — 3.04 billion (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Lesotho's goods and services expense (current LCU)?

2.38 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1982?

It is up 8,679% from 27.13 million in 1982 (11.24% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 3.47 billion in 2016 and the lowest 27.13 million in 1982.

How does Lesotho rank?

77th highest of 89 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in goods and services expense (current LCU) unusual for Lesotho?

In 2024, Lesotho's goods and services expense (current LCU) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 2.38 billion to 2.38 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +10% and a typical year strayed about 18.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 GC.XPN.GSRV.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, 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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