Interest payments in Lesotho
Lesotho: Interest payments was 4.0% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Interest payments in Lesotho, 1987–2022
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
In 2022, interest payments in Lesotho stood at 4.0%.
That represents a change of up 22.8% on the previous year and up 98.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest payments in Lesotho peaked at 21.7% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2010.
Lesotho ranks 102nd of 152 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Interest payments in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 9.3% | — |
| 1988 | 10.9% | +17.3% |
| 1989 | 21.7% | +98.6% |
| 1991 | 11.3% | -48.0% |
| 1992 | 9.5% | -16.2% |
| 1993 | 8.0% | -15.4% |
| 1994 | 6.3% | -21.0% |
| 1995 | 7.2% | +13.8% |
| 1996 | 2.4% | -66.9% |
| 1997 | 3.5% | +48.7% |
| 1998 | 6.6% | +84.9% |
| 1999 | 4.8% | -26.9% |
| 2000 | 7.8% | +62.6% |
| 2001 | 6.2% | -20.9% |
| 2002 | 7.6% | +22.8% |
| 2003 | 7.6% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 5.0% | -34.3% |
| 2005 | 3.3% | -33.7% |
| 2006 | 7.1% | +114.0% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | -11.7% |
| 2008 | 1.8% | -71.9% |
| 2009 | 1.6% | -6.3% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -17.6% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | +34.4% |
| 2012 | 2.0% | +10.8% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | -11.5% |
| 2015 | 2.3% | +34.7% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -15.7% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | +37.8% |
| 2018 | 3.4% | +25.3% |
| 2019 | 3.7% | +9.6% |
| 2020 | 3.7% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | -12.5% |
| 2022 | 4.0% | +22.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 4.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.0%, 40% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 4.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.3%, 35% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.0% | 9.3% | 21.7% | 3 |
| 1990s | 6.6% | 2.4% | 11.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.4% | 1.6% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.4% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.7% | 3.3% | 4.0% | 3 |
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 4.0% in 2022, 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 21.7% in 1989.
- What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2010.
- How does Lesotho rank for interest payments?
- Lesotho ranks 102nd out of 152 countries with data for 2022.
- Is interest payments rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 98.1%. 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 (% of expense). 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 as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.