Lesotho: Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Lesotho's manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) fell 9.17 percentage points on 2023 (from 79.23% to 70.06%).

Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was −0.29 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 10.96 percentage points 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 29.6 percentage points in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 27.23 percentage points in 2014. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 5% 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.

How it compares

In 2024, Lesotho had the 5th 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

• Tunisia — 2nd of 36: 77.26%
• Jordan — 3rd of 36: 72.1%
• Central African Republic — 4th of 36: 71.84%
• Costa Rica — 6th of 36: 64.86%
• Lebanon — 7th of 36: 55.62%
• Albania — 8th of 36: 54.06%

What this measures

Manufactures comprise commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 5 (chemicals), 6 (basic manufactures), 7 (machinery and transport equipment), and 8 (miscellaneous manufactured goods), excluding division 68 (non-ferrous metals). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise exports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-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

Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in nearby economies

• Angola — 2% (2025)
• Benin — 7.42% (2024)
• Botswana — 86.27% (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 2.71% (2024)
• Burundi — 15.18% (2023)
• Cabo Verde — 13.61% (2024)
• Cameroon — 5.97% (2023)
• Central African Republic — 71.84% (2024)
• Comoros — 10.22% (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep.

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
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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 manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports)?

70.06% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is down 24.82 percentage points from 94.87% in 2000. The highest value was 94.87% in 2000 and the lowest 40.82% in 2014.

How does Lesotho rank?

5th highest of 36 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) unusual for Lesotho?

In 2024, Lesotho's manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) fell 9.17 percentage points on 2023 (from 79.23% to 70.06%). Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was −0.29 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 10.96 percentage points 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.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TX.VAL.MANF.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.

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