Lesotho has a GDP of $2.27B compared to $46.6B for Libya, ranking 174/197 and 96/197 by economy size, respectively.
The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.
| Year | GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lesotho
|
Libya
|
|||
| Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
| 1960 | $34,579,986 | $193,508,327 | $401,644,249 | $4,206,979,770 |
| 1961 | $35,699,986 | $197,116,861 | $443,905,612 | $4,623,294,239 |
| 1962 | $41,859,983 | $227,338,452 | $619,725,785 | $6,127,004,092 |
| 1963 | $47,039,981 | $251,470,588 | $892,327,911 | $8,272,704,007 |
| 1964 | $51,939,979 | $272,219,723 | $1,341,395,421 | $12,001,351,827 |
| 1965 | $54,879,978 | $278,083,623 | $1,804,979,680 | $15,379,597,828 |
| 1966 | $56,699,977 | $276,955,935 | $2,312,438,536 | $18,238,997,837 |
| 1967 | $59,261,976 | $307,177,537 | $2,726,986,913 | $20,265,366,359 |
| 1968 | $61,445,975 | $306,049,827 | $3,850,623,095 | $27,128,012,832 |
| 1969 | $65,967,974 | $310,786,060 | $4,380,987,481 | $30,678,497,534 |
| 1970 | $68,739,973 | $317,552,094 | $4,601,649,451 | $32,197,312,919 |
| 1971 | $76,480,285 | $333,790,811 | $5,260,185,125 | $30,498,091,672 |
| 1972 | $80,913,200 | $333,114,189 | $6,299,395,544 | $33,281,298,886 |
| 1973 | $121,188,716 | $421,072,595 | $8,625,889,430 | $33,925,831,082 |
| 1974 | $150,851,317 | $467,306,740 | $15,112,543,717 | $41,455,139,018 |
| 1975 | $149,558,896 | $404,157,255 | $14,710,912,458 | $43,125,063,344 |
| 1976 | $147,660,037 | $448,813,113 | $19,096,943,017 | $52,992,488,552 |
| 1977 | $193,315,048 | $546,694,921 | $22,428,297,108 | $57,683,765,284 |
| 1978 | $266,570,067 | $646,832,346 | $22,136,422,643 | $59,590,166,895 |
| 1979 | $290,134,593 | $665,551,149 | $30,536,429,497 | $64,928,319,577 |
| 1980 | $431,542,537 | $647,283,239 | $40,953,924,949 | $65,373,260,707 |
| 1981 | $434,188,034 | $651,779,515 | $36,374,353,880 | $52,828,013,782 |
| 1982 | $348,741,684 | $680,830,657 | $33,760,146,991 | $54,310,397,843 |
| 1983 | $386,699,309 | $694,353,080 | $33,200,520,140 | $52,967,721,371 |
| 1984 | $333,163,670 | $732,784,813 | $29,476,109,153 | $50,297,204,632 |
| 1985 | $268,629,926 | $751,912,324 | $31,530,566,324 | $54,485,341,416 |
| 1986 | $318,858,423 | $787,138,334 | $24,180,400,959 | $48,299,889,591 |
| 1987 | $402,768,324 | $792,882,304 | $26,697,659,335 | $41,198,814,143 |
| 1988 | $470,395,801 | $861,085,399 | $24,308,959,591 | $44,321,281,890 |
| 1989 | $495,409,233 | $910,987,402 | $25,156,707,899 | $47,512,155,858 |
| 1990 | $596,410,264 | $966,060,902 | $28,904,183,602 | $49,279,670,598 |
| 1991 | $704,325,367 | $1,033,362,572 | $31,991,821,265 | $56,994,467,921 |
| 1992 | $831,029,862 | $1,105,247,043 | $33,887,047,909 | $55,448,621,741 |
| 1993 | $835,582,062 | $1,144,038,630 | $30,660,051,911 | $53,361,983,286 |
| 1994 | $878,250,945 | $1,212,450,693 | $28,610,549,763 | $54,394,423,864 |
| 1995 | $1,001,894,000 | $1,252,351,696 | $25,541,379,187 | $53,186,646,293 |
| 1996 | $946,112,493 | $1,322,446,272 | $27,884,615,385 | $54,321,714,851 |
| 1997 | $998,004,259 | $1,371,424,437 | $30,700,897,875 | $57,153,327,139 |
| 1998 | $928,460,893 | $1,392,512,226 | $27,251,301,398 | $55,123,101,078 |
| 1999 | $912,773,681 | $1,399,140,933 | $35,975,860,857 | $55,536,336,508 |
| 2000 | $887,291,688 | $1,453,365,294 | $38,270,954,138 | $57,579,668,503 |
| 2001 | $825,706,961 | $1,505,128,088 | $34,112,093,927 | $56,564,631,725 |
| 2002 | $775,777,239 | $1,516,022,748 | $20,481,889,764 | $56,022,234,981 |
| 2003 | $1,157,825,435 | $1,585,150,007 | $26,265,625,000 | $63,314,109,953 |
| 2004 | $1,511,236,656 | $1,611,976,677 | $33,122,307,692 | $66,138,956,973 |
| 2005 | $1,682,343,527 | $1,667,849,759 | $47,334,691,241 | $73,990,151,521 |
| 2006 | $1,800,092,564 | $1,738,401,392 | $60,094,231,607 | $78,799,900,129 |
| 2007 | $1,682,131,785 | $1,811,204,149 | $68,032,978,391 | $83,709,120,342 |
| 2008 | $1,766,902,709 | $1,911,244,555 | $86,710,767,415 | $83,573,471,187 |
| 2009 | $1,740,894,965 | $1,887,282,177 | $60,808,562,033 | $79,896,086,549 |
| 2010 | $2,234,754,242 | $1,986,735,735 | $75,380,825,062 | $83,912,660,700 |
| 2011 | $2,579,409,620 | $2,078,451,680 | $48,169,263,294 | $41,672,273,291 |
| 2012 | $2,477,702,216 | $2,210,102,550 | $92,540,938,129 | $77,854,953,190 |
| 2013 | $2,367,112,932 | $2,249,719,203 | $75,351,107,029 | $63,842,648,631 |
| 2014 | $2,441,063,054 | $2,288,201,773 | $57,372,355,592 | $49,131,511,071 |
| 2015 | $2,359,686,725 | $2,359,686,725 | $48,717,501,321 | $48,717,501,321 |
| 2016 | $2,114,426,452 | $2,444,845,631 | $49,912,073,701 | $47,991,152,063 |
| 2017 | $2,306,741,672 | $2,368,122,099 | $67,157,452,182 | $63,584,342,258 |
| 2018 | $2,556,247,292 | $2,333,058,898 | $76,686,029,772 | $68,633,808,774 |
| 2019 | $2,390,702,296 | $2,299,976,266 | $69,254,496,472 | $60,949,510,656 |
| 2020 | $2,053,699,870 | $2,112,391,150 | $46,854,285,441 | $42,996,651,438 |
| 2021 | $2,412,130,022 | $2,160,272,945 | $35,217,995,647 | $55,179,091,533 |
| 2022 | $2,354,980,884 | $2,211,855,515 | $43,246,297,922 | $50,625,917,040 |
| 2023 | $2,117,962,430 | $2,252,257,826 | $45,096,462,972 | $55,767,393,125 |
| 2024 | $2,271,541,846 | $2,314,470,552 | $46,636,278,902 | $55,429,536,118 |
Economic indicators
|
Lesotho
|
Libya
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$2.27B
2024 |
$46.6B
2024 |
| GDP rank |
174/197
2024 |
96/197
2024 |
| GDP growth |
7.25%
2023-2024 |
3.41%
2023-2024 |
| GDP per capita |
$972
2024 |
$6,318
2024 |
| GDP per capita rank |
180/197
2024 |
110/197
2024 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$2,998
2024 |
$13,954
2024 |
| Government debt |
$1.36B
2024 |
n/a |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
59.7%
2025 |
n/a |
| Government debt per person |
$581
2024 |
n/a |
| Government debt per person rank |
160/185
2024 |
n/a |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$7,614
2025 |
$3,735
2025 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
32.9%
2017 |
n/a |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
1.7%
2017 |
n/a |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
52.4%
2025 |
65.7%
2025 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
6.11%
2023-2024 |
2.13%
2023-2024 |
| Central bank interest rate |
6.75%
2025 |
n/a |
| Unemployment rate |
18.7%
2024 |
30%
2004 |
| Population |
2384217
|
7523849
|
GDP per capita in Lesotho vs Libya
Lesotho's GDP per capita is $972, ranking 180/197, compared to $6,318 in Libya, ranking 110/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Lesotho ranks 180th at $2,998, while Libya ranks 119th at $13,954.
| Year | Current $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lesotho
|
Libya
|
|||
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $47 | - | $269 | - |
| 1961 | $47 | - | $285.3 | - |
| 1962 | $53.5 | - | $382 | - |
| 1963 | $58.4 | - | $528 | - |
| 1964 | $62.6 | - | $765 | - |
| 1965 | $64.3 | - | $1,001 | - |
| 1966 | $64.3 | - | $1,251 | - |
| 1967 | $64.8 | - | $1,437 | - |
| 1968 | $64.8 | - | $1,972 | - |
| 1969 | $67.1 | - | $2,175 | - |
| 1970 | $67.4 | - | $2,210 | - |
| 1971 | $72.4 | - | $2,443 | - |
| 1972 | $74 | - | $2,830 | - |
| 1973 | $107 | - | $3,727 | - |
| 1974 | $128.7 | - | $6,214 | - |
| 1975 | $123.2 | - | $5,721 | - |
| 1976 | $117.8 | - | $7,018 | - |
| 1977 | $149.9 | - | $7,783 | - |
| 1978 | $200.8 | - | $7,252 | - |
| 1979 | $212.4 | - | $9,443 | - |
| 1980 | $307 | - | $11,960 | - |
| 1981 | $299.8 | - | $10,044 | - |
| 1982 | $233.9 | - | $9,064 | - |
| 1983 | $252 | - | $8,927 | - |
| 1984 | $211 | - | $7,811 | - |
| 1985 | $165.4 | - | $8,087 | - |
| 1986 | $191.4 | - | $6,019 | - |
| 1987 | $236.5 | - | $6,465 | - |
| 1988 | $270.4 | - | $5,736 | - |
| 1989 | $279 | - | $5,793 | - |
| 1990 | $330 | $764 | $6,502 | $17,173 |
| 1991 | $382 | $830 | $7,040 | $20,085 |
| 1992 | $444 | $893 | $7,303 | $19,572 |
| 1993 | $439 | $932 | $6,478 | $18,904 |
| 1994 | $456 | $995 | $5,933 | $19,318 |
| 1995 | $513 | $1,037 | $5,205 | $18,952 |
| 1996 | $480 | $1,103 | $5,591 | $19,392 |
| 1997 | $502 | $1,154 | $6,062 | $20,439 |
| 1998 | $465 | $1,179 | $5,301 | $19,639 |
| 1999 | $456 | $1,199 | $6,895 | $19,769 |
| 2000 | $443 | $1,273 | $7,214 | $20,617 |
| 2001 | $413 | $1,350 | $6,313 | $20,332 |
| 2002 | $389 | $1,385 | $3,718 | $20,061 |
| 2003 | $583 | $1,484 | $4,674 | $22,663 |
| 2004 | $767 | $1,561 | $5,774 | $23,813 |
| 2005 | $861 | $1,681 | $8,079 | $26,903 |
| 2006 | $925 | $1,813 | $10,049 | $28,936 |
| 2007 | $861 | $1,932 | $11,145 | $30,929 |
| 2008 | $898 | $2,064 | $13,906 | $30,812 |
| 2009 | $879 | $2,036 | $9,551 | $29,027 |
| 2010 | $1,119 | $2,153 | $11,601 | $30,234 |
| 2011 | $1,281 | $2,279 | $7,594 | $15,698 |
| 2012 | $1,218 | $2,291 | $14,976 | $26,826 |
| 2013 | $1,151 | $2,538 | $11,952 | $21,151 |
| 2014 | $1,174 | $2,771 | $8,926 | $17,510 |
| 2015 | $1,121 | $3,035 | $7,458 | $17,903 |
| 2016 | $992 | $2,942 | $7,526 | $16,961 |
| 2017 | $1,069 | $2,619 | $9,966 | $18,026 |
| 2018 | $1,171 | $2,632 | $11,197 | $18,879 |
| 2019 | $1,082 | $2,568 | $9,963 | $16,194 |
| 2020 | $919 | $2,559 | $6,650 | $10,955 |
| 2021 | $1,067 | $2,545 | $4,936 | $12,642 |
| 2022 | $1,030 | $2,761 | $5,987 | $12,273 |
| 2023 | $916 | $2,881 | $6,173 | $13,849 |
| 2024 | $972 | $2,998 | $6,318 | $13,954 |
Government deficit by year
In 2024, Lesotho's government surplus, the difference between spending and revenue, was $201M, equivalent to 8.87% of GDP. This compares to Libya's surplus of $70.8M, or 0.15% of GDP.
Over the past 35 years, Lesotho recorded a fiscal deficit in 16 of those years, while Libya ran a deficit in 12 years. On average, Lesotho posted an annual surplus equal to +0.72% of GDP, compared to surplus of +3.51% of GDP for Libya.
| Year | Deficit/surplus, % of GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
Lesotho
|
Libya
|
|
| 1982 | -2.03% | - |
| 1983 | 1.85% | - |
| 1984 | 4.82% | - |
| 1985 | 1.68% | - |
| 1986 | 0.87% | - |
| 1987 | -2.85% | - |
| 1988 | -1.87% | - |
| 1989 | 3.88% | - |
| 1990 | 8.78% | 3.36% |
| 1991 | 9.74% | 8.41% |
| 1992 | 4.65% | 0.11% |
| 1993 | 7.55% | -5.77% |
| 1994 | 5.69% | -2.67% |
| 1995 | 5.13% | 3.8% |
| 1996 | 2.11% | 11.3% |
| 1997 | 0.27% | -2.1% |
| 1998 | -11.8% | -2.36% |
| 1999 | -15.3% | 5.69% |
| 2000 | -0.95% | 13.6% |
| 2001 | -2.76% | 0.07% |
| 2002 | -2.44% | 6.99% |
| 2003 | 0.89% | 6.17% |
| 2004 | 6.05% | 11.3% |
| 2005 | 4.46% | 30.4% |
| 2006 | 11.6% | 29.1% |
| 2007 | 10.8% | 28.4% |
| 2008 | 8.1% | 27.7% |
| 2009 | -4.16% | -5.46% |
| 2010 | -1.49% | 11.5% |
| 2011 | -9.85% | -11.5% |
| 2012 | 4.56% | 24.6% |
| 2013 | -2.58% | -16.3% |
| 2014 | 3.16% | -30.5% |
| 2015 | -1.38% | -28.5% |
| 2016 | -9.43% | -29.3% |
| 2017 | -2.02% | -11.1% |
| 2018 | -4.41% | 9.39% |
| 2019 | -5.72% | 11.9% |
| 2020 | 1.18% | -22.3% |
| 2021 | -4.95% | 14.8% |
| 2022 | -6.41% | 23.6% |
| 2023 | 7.32% | 8.22% |
| 2024 | 8.87% | 0.15% |
| 2025 | 6.05% | 0.21% |
Inflation comparison by year
Over the past 29 years, Lesotho has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 5.29%, compared with 4.38% in Libya. In 2024, inflation was 6.11% in Lesotho and 2.13% in Libya.
| Year | Inflation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lesotho
|
Libya
|
Lesotho
|
Libya
|
| 1996 | 9.33% | 4.03% | |
| 1997 | - | 3.55% | |
| 1998 | - | 3.71% | |
| 1999 | - | 2.65% | |
| 2000 | 6.13% | -2.9% | |
| 2001 | -9.62% | -8.81% | |
| 2002 | 33.8% | -9.8% | |
| 2003 | 6.63% | -2.19% | |
| 2004 | 5.02% | -2.2% | |
| 2005 | 3.44% | 2.65% | |
| 2006 | 6.07% | 1.46% | |
| 2007 | 8.01% | 6.25% | |
| 2008 | 10.7% | 10.4% | |
| 2009 | -16.9% | 2.46% | |
| 2010 | -2.41% | 2.8% | |
| 2011 | 5.04% | 15.5% | |
| 2012 | 6.05% | 6.06% | |
| 2013 | 4.87% | 2.61% | |
| 2014 | 5.37% | 2.43% | |
| 2015 | 3.22% | 10.4% | |
| 2016 | 6.6% | 25.9% | |
| 2017 | 4.45% | 25.8% | |
| 2018 | 4.75% | 13.2% | |
| 2019 | 5.19% | -2.16% | |
| 2020 | 4.98% | 1.45% | |
| 2021 | 6.05% | 2.87% | |
| 2022 | 8.27% | 4.51% | |
| 2023 | 6.34% | 2.37% | |
| 2024 | 6.11% | 2.13% | |
Balance of trade
|
Lesotho
|
Libya
|
|
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$84.4M
2024 |
$1.86B
2023 |
| Current account balance ranking |
67/189
2024 |
46/189
2023 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+3.72%
2024 |
+4.13%
2023 |
| Goods imports |
$1.67B
2024 |
$23.2B
2023 |
| Goods exports |
$968M
2024 |
$37.1B
2023 |
| Service imports |
$415M
2024 |
$10.1B
2023 |
| Service exports |
$15.4M
2024 |
$642M
2023 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
98.6%
2023 |
59.1%
2024 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
42.9%
2023 |
74.8%
2024 |
Economic freedom indices
The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.
|
Lesotho
|
Libya
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 54.1 | 35.9 |
| Economic freedom ranking | 137/197 | 189/197 |
| Property rights | 42.4 | 5.7 |
| Government integrity | 39.3 | 11.7 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 43.6 | 3.6 |
| Tax burden | 68 | 93.2 |
| Government spending | 23.8 | 0 |
| Fiscal health | 92 | 19.9 |
| Business freedom | 49.6 | 31.1 |
| Labor freedom | 58 | 48.6 |
| Monetary freedom | 73.5 | 75.1 |
| Trade freedom | 63.8 | 80 |
| Investment freedom | 55 | 5 |
| Financial freedom | 40 | 20 |
Economic freedom by year comparison
The Economic Freedom Index for Lesotho is 54.1, ranking 137/197, compared to 35.9 for Libya, ranking 189/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.
| Year | Economic freedom index | |
|---|---|---|
|
Lesotho
|
Libya
|
|
| 1996 | 47 | 31.7 |
| 1997 | 47.2 | 28.9 |
| 1998 | 48.4 | 32 |
| 1999 | 48.2 | 32.3 |
| 2000 | 48.4 | 34.7 |
| 2001 | 50.6 | 34 |
| 2002 | 48.9 | 35.4 |
| 2003 | 52 | 34.6 |
| 2004 | 50.3 | 31.5 |
| 2005 | 53.9 | 32.8 |
| 2006 | 54.7 | 33.2 |
| 2007 | 53.2 | 37 |
| 2008 | 52.1 | 38.7 |
| 2009 | 49.7 | 43.5 |
| 2010 | 48.1 | 40.2 |
| 2011 | 47.5 | 38.6 |
| 2012 | 46.6 | 35.9 |
| 2013 | 47.9 | - |
| 2014 | 49.5 | - |
| 2015 | 49.6 | - |
| 2016 | 50.6 | - |
| 2017 | 53.9 | - |
| 2018 | 53.9 | - |
| 2019 | 53.1 | - |
| 2020 | 54.5 | - |
| 2021 | 53.5 | - |
| 2022 | 48.1 | - |
| 2023 | 51.6 | - |
| 2024 | 51.9 | - |
| 2025 | 54.1 | - |
More economic indicators
|
Lesotho
|
Libya
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
48%
2024 |
34.3%
2024 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
31%
2024 |
68.3%
2024 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
6.5%
2024 |
1.74%
2024 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$2.75B
2024 |
$46.6B
2024 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$3,580
2024 |
$14,050
2024 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$1.01B
2024 |
$92.9B
2024 |
| Total reserves ranking |
142/177
2024 |
29/177
2024 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
$12.6M
2024 |
-$795M
2023 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
-$12.6M
2024 |
$795M
2023 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$0
1989 |
-$56.5M
2024 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
5.07%
2023 |
n/a |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
49.7%
2017 |
7.4%
2005 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
27.2%
2023 |
14.8%
2024 |
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
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Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.