Economy · GDP per capita · Lesotho
Lesotho’s GDP per capita rose to $1,089 in 2025.
$1,089
2025
Up $65.9 from 2024.
Updated 8 Oct 2026
In plain words
$1,089
What it is. GDP per capita divides the value of everything produced in Lesotho in a year by the number of people living there, measured in current US dollars. Because it is an average, it says nothing about how income is shared between households. It also leaves out unpaid work and income earned abroad, which matters in a country where many workers are employed in South Africa. Current dollars mean the figure moves with the exchange rate of the loti, which is tied to the rand, as well as with real output.
Higher is better. A higher figure means more output is available for each person, which gives households, firms and the government more to spend and invest. The latest figure for 2025 is $1,089, up from $1,023 in 2024, a rise of 6.4%. Since 2016 the range runs from a low of $919 in 2020 to a high of $1,171 in 2018. The current level therefore sits closer to the top of that range than the bottom, though still below the 2018 peak.
Why it matters. At $1,089 per person across a year, average incomes in Lesotho remain low, and household budgets are tight for food, school fees and transport. The gain of $66 over the past year helps, but the level is still under the 2018 high, so the recovery is not complete. For the state, a small economy of this size limits how much tax revenue it can raise for health, education and roads.
| Period | GDP per capita · Lesotho |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $992.5 |
| 2017 | $1,069 |
| 2018 | $1,171 |
| 2019 | $1,082 |
| 2020 | $918.6 |
| 2021 | $1,067 |
| 2022 | $1,030 |
| 2023 | $921.4 |
| 2024 | $1,023 |
| 2025 | $1,089 |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, GDP per capita, Lesotho, 2025; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 8 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/economy/gdp-per-capita/lesotho
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
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Methodology
Gross domestic product per person at current US dollars. Unit: USD.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series NY.GDP.PCAP.CD), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.