Interest payments in Lesotho
Lesotho: Interest payments was 820.90 million current LCU in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Interest payments in Lesotho, 1982–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
In 2024, interest payments in Lesotho stood at 820.90 million current LCU. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 369.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest payments in Lesotho peaked at 820.90 million current LCU in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.89 million current LCU, in 1986.
That places Lesotho 123rd out of 155 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Interest payments in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 16.10 million current LCU | — |
| 1983 | 19.62 million current LCU | +21.9% |
| 1984 | 18.08 million current LCU | -7.8% |
| 1985 | 20.79 million current LCU | +15.0% |
| 1986 | 5.89 million current LCU | -71.7% |
| 1987 | 29.81 million current LCU | +406.3% |
| 1988 | 43.31 million current LCU | +45.3% |
| 1989 | 97.49 million current LCU | +125.1% |
| 1991 | 64.55 million current LCU | -33.8% |
| 1992 | 67.32 million current LCU | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 62.02 million current LCU | -7.9% |
| 1994 | 64.80 million current LCU | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 84.97 million current LCU | +31.1% |
| 1996 | 29.06 million current LCU | -65.8% |
| 1997 | 53.48 million current LCU | +84.0% |
| 1998 | 133.04 million current LCU | +148.8% |
| 1999 | 92.52 million current LCU | -30.5% |
| 2000 | 162.42 million current LCU | +75.5% |
| 2001 | 147.31 million current LCU | -9.3% |
| 2002 | 214.07 million current LCU | +45.3% |
| 2003 | 224.90 million current LCU | +5.1% |
| 2004 | 156.30 million current LCU | -30.5% |
| 2005 | 117.90 million current LCU | -24.6% |
| 2006 | 313.21 million current LCU | +165.7% |
| 2007 | 306.19 million current LCU | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 118.95 million current LCU | -61.2% |
| 2009 | 126.45 million current LCU | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 94.18 million current LCU | -25.5% |
| 2011 | 138.96 million current LCU | +47.6% |
| 2012 | 164.28 million current LCU | +18.2% |
| 2013 | 189.79 million current LCU | +15.5% |
| 2014 | 174.81 million current LCU | -7.9% |
| 2015 | 267.10 million current LCU | +52.8% |
| 2016 | 246.92 million current LCU | -7.6% |
| 2017 | 329.10 million current LCU | +33.3% |
| 2018 | 448.63 million current LCU | +36.3% |
| 2019 | 502.10 million current LCU | +11.9% |
| 2020 | 544.12 million current LCU | +8.4% |
| 2021 | 441.83 million current LCU | -18.8% |
| 2022 | 618.94 million current LCU | +40.1% |
| 2023 | 820.90 million current LCU | +32.6% |
| 2024 | 820.90 million current LCU | +0.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 820.90 million current LCU is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 39.26 billion current LCU, 2% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 820.90 million current LCU is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 106.55 billion current LCU, 1% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Interest payments in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +406.3% | 5.89 million current LCU | 29.81 million current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31.39 million current LCU | 5.89 million current LCU | 97.49 million current LCU | 8 |
| 1990s | 72.42 million current LCU | 29.06 million current LCU | 133.04 million current LCU | 9 |
| 2000s | 188.77 million current LCU | 117.90 million current LCU | 313.21 million current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 255.59 million current LCU | 94.18 million current LCU | 502.10 million current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 649.34 million current LCU | 441.83 million current LCU | 820.90 million current LCU | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More public sector data for Lesotho
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 6 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is interest payments in Lesotho?
- Interest payments in Lesotho was 820.90 million current LCU in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest payments recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 820.90 million current LCU in 2023.
- What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.89 million current LCU in 1986.
- How does Lesotho rank for interest payments?
- Lesotho ranks 123rd out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
- Is interest payments rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 369.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Interest payments (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Interest payments include interest payments on government debt (including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments) to domestic and foreign residents. 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.