Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Lesotho

Lesotho: Primary government spending as a share of original budget was 96.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
96.4%
Change on year
up 33.3%
World rank
102nd
of 166 countries
All-time high
96.4%
in 2023
All-time low
69.9%
in 2021
Years of data
17
2007–2023

Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Lesotho, 2007–2023

0204060801002007201520232007: 92.1 %2008: 84.6 %2009: 93.3 %2010: 78 %2011: 78.3 %2012: 72.1 %2013: 79.5 %2014: 86.1 %2015: 90.2 %2016: 88.5 %2017: 79.9 %2018: 82.9 %2019: 79.2 %2020: 72.3 %2021: 69.9 %2022: 72.3 %2023: 96.4 %

Source: World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for primary government spending as a share of original budget in Lesotho is 96.4%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.

That represents a change of up 33.3% on the previous year and up 21.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary government spending as a share of original budget in Lesotho peaked at 96.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 69.9%, in 2021.

Lesotho ranks 102nd of 166 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Lesotho, year by year

Annual values for Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Lesotho, 2007 to 2023.
Year % Change
2007 92.1%
2008 84.6% -8.2%
2009 93.3% +10.2%
2010 78.0% -16.3%
2011 78.3% +0.4%
2012 72.1% -7.9%
2013 79.5% +10.2%
2014 86.1% +8.3%
2015 90.2% +4.8%
2016 88.5% -2.0%
2017 79.9% -9.7%
2018 82.9% +3.8%
2019 79.2% -4.4%
2020 72.3% -8.7%
2021 69.9% -3.4%
2022 72.3% +3.5%
2023 96.4% +33.3%

Lesotho compared with similar countries

  • Lesotho's 96.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 96.7%, 100% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
  • Lesotho's 96.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 98.1%, 98% of the median. (45 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 90.0% 84.6% 93.3% 3
2010s 81.5% 72.1% 90.2% 10
2020s 77.8% 69.9% 96.4% 4

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 99 Solomon Islands 96.8% compare
  2. 100 Saint Lucia 96.7% compare
  3. 101 Egypt 96.7% compare
  4. 103 North Macedonia 96.4% compare
  5. 104 Fiji 96.4% compare
  6. 105 Poland 96.3% compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More reference data data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary government spending as a share of original budget in Lesotho?
Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Lesotho was 96.4% in 2023, according to World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest primary government spending as a share of original budget recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 96.4% in 2023.
What is the lowest primary government spending as a share of original budget recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 69.9% in 2021.
How does Lesotho rank for primary government spending as a share of original budget?
Lesotho ranks 102nd out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
Is primary government spending as a share of original budget rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary government spending as a share of original budget. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/govt-expenditure-share-budget/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary government spending as a share of original budget
Unit
%
Source
World Bank – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 2,464 data points, 2004–2025
Last refreshed

Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%).