Lesotho: Imports, percent of GDP

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
 Lesotho

Imports of goods and services as percent of GDP

 Latest value 98.52
 Year 2022
 Measure percent
 Data availability 1960 - 2022
 Average 84.45
 Min - Max 38.46 - 138.63
 Source The World Bank
The latest value from 2022 is 98.52 percent, an increase from 93.21 percent in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 52.43 percent, based on data from 161 countries. Historically, the average for Lesotho from 1960 to 2022 is 84.45 percent. The minimum value, 38.46 percent, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 138.63 percent was recorded in 1976. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.
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* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Recent data
Lesotho - Imports, percent of GDP - Recent values chart

Historical series
Lesotho - Imports, percent of GDP - historical chart - 1960-2022




The imports of Lesotho and other countries are calculated as the total amount of goods and services produced abroad and sold at home. Imports are often reported as percent of GDP so that we can evaluate their magnitude relative to the size of the economy.

If imports are about 15 percent or less of GDP the economy is considered relatively closed. That, for example, applies to the U.S. In contrast, many small European countries import over 40 percent of the products they consume. They are considered more open to international trade.
Definition: Imports of goods and services represent the value of all goods and other market services received from the rest of the world. They include the value of merchandise, freight, insurance, transport, travel, royalties, license fees, and other services, such as communication, construction, financial, information, business, personal, and government services. They exclude compensation of employees and investment income (formerly called factor services) and transfer payments.

Selected articles from our guide:

What factors determine the exchange rates

International lending and sovereign debt

All articles



 Related indicators Latest Reference Measure
 Terms of trade 77.60 2021 percent
 Trade openness 141.51 2023 percent
 Financial openness -1.242 2021 index points
 Exports, percent of GDP 47.22 2022 percent
 Exports, billion dollars 0.91 2023 billion U.S. dollars
 Growth of exports -1.66 2022 percent
 Imports, percent of GDP 98.52 2022 percent
 Imports, billion dollars 2.09 2023 billion U.S. dollars
 Foreign Direct Investment, percent of GDP -1.25 2023 percent
 Foreign Direct Investment, billion dollars -0.03 2023 billion U.S. dollars
 Portfolio investment inflows, equities 0.19 2023 million dollars (current)
 Current account, percent of GDP -3.40 2023 percent
 Current account, in dollars -0.14 2023 billion U.S. dollars
 Trade balance, percent of GDP -51.29 2022 percent
 Trade balance, in dollars -1.19 2023 billion U.S. dollars
 Reserves 0.77 2019 billion U.S. dollars
 Remittances, percent of GDP 24.12 2023 percent
 Remittances 493.52 2023 million U.S. dollars
 Net errors and omissions 99.80 2023 million USD
 External debt 67.12 2022 percent
 Short-term external debt 0.19 2023 percent
 Short-term debt to reserves 0.39 2023 percent
 Foreign exchange reserves 0.78 4/2020 billion
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