Migrant remittance inflows (% of GDP) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Migrant remittance inflows (% of GDP) was 26.8% in 2011. ▼ Falling
Migrant remittance inflows in Lesotho, 1975–2011
Source: World Bank staff estimates based on the International Monetary Fund's Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook 2008, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2011, migrant remittance inflows in Lesotho stood at 26.8%. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.4% on the previous year and down 52.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, migrant remittance inflows in Lesotho peaked at 106.5% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 26.8%, in 2011.
Lesotho ranks 1st of 50 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Migrant remittance inflows (% of GDP) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 81.4% | — |
| 1976 | 93.5% | +14.8% |
| 1977 | 85.4% | -8.6% |
| 1978 | 66.6% | -22.1% |
| 1979 | 73.2% | +10.0% |
| 1980 | 61.0% | -16.7% |
| 1981 | 66.9% | +9.7% |
| 1982 | 106.5% | +59.1% |
| 1983 | 106.3% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 106.5% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 90.4% | -15.1% |
| 1986 | 87.9% | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 95.6% | +8.7% |
| 1988 | 86.4% | -9.6% |
| 1989 | 80.8% | -6.5% |
| 1990 | 78.6% | -2.8% |
| 1991 | 71.8% | -8.6% |
| 1992 | 63.2% | -12.0% |
| 1993 | 55.5% | -12.1% |
| 1994 | 42.3% | -23.8% |
| 1995 | 47.8% | +12.9% |
| 1996 | 47.5% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 44.0% | -7.3% |
| 1998 | 36.0% | -18.4% |
| 1999 | 34.4% | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 61.9% | +79.9% |
| 2001 | 56.8% | -8.3% |
| 2002 | 59.2% | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 57.5% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 50.8% | -11.6% |
| 2005 | 43.8% | -13.8% |
| 2006 | 43.0% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 39.9% | -7.0% |
| 2008 | 35.4% | -11.3% |
| 2009 | 32.0% | -9.6% |
| 2010 | 28.0% | -12.6% |
| 2011 | 26.8% | -4.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 26.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.0%, 13.1× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 26.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.7%, 16.2× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Migrant remittance inflows (% of GDP) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +79.9% | 34.4% | 61.9% |
| 1982 | +59.1% | 66.9% | 106.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 80.0% | 66.6% | 93.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 88.8% | 61.0% | 106.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.1% | 34.4% | 78.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.0% | 32.0% | 61.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.4% | 26.8% | 28.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More trade data for Lesotho
- Commodity Net Export Price Index, Individual Commodities Weighted by 121.31 (2025)
- Commodity Net Export Price Index, Individual Commodities Weighted by 103.15 (2025)
- Commodity Export Price Index, Individual Commodites Weighted by Ratio 99.45 (2025)
- Commodity Export Price Index, Individual Commodites Weighted by Ratio 73.42 (2025)
- Commodity Import Price Index, Individual Commodites Weighted by Ratio 96.41 (2025)
- Commodity Import Price Index, Individual Commodites Weighted by Ratio 77.44 (2025)
- Imports of low carbon technology products, Percent of GDP 1.5 (2024)
- Imports of low carbon technology products, US dollar (World), per 14.79 units per person (2024)
- Imports of low carbon technology products, US dollar (World), per 0.0145 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Exports of low carbon technology products, US dollar (World), gaps 7.83 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is migrant remittance inflows in Lesotho?
- Migrant remittance inflows in Lesotho was 26.8% in 2011, according to World Bank staff estimates based on the International Monetary Fund's Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook 2008, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.
- What is the highest migrant remittance inflows recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 106.5% in 1982.
- What is the lowest migrant remittance inflows recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.8% in 2011.
- How does Lesotho rank for migrant remittance inflows?
- Lesotho ranks 1st out of 50 countries with data for 2011.
- Is migrant remittance inflows rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank staff estimates based on the International Monetary Fund's Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook 2008, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates, published as part of Migrant remittance inflows (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Migrants’ remittances are defined as the sum of worker’s remittances,