Military spending in Lesotho
Lesotho: Military spending was 44.77 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
44.77 million constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 4.0%
World rank
159th
of 172 countries
All-time high
62.31 million constant 2022 US$
in 2012
All-time low
6.17 million constant 2022 US$
in 1978
Years of data
58
1966–2023
Military spending in Lesotho, 1966–2023
Source: Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending in Lesotho is 44.77 million constant 2022 US$, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.0% on the previous year and down 24.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in Lesotho peaked at 62.31 million constant 2022 US$ in 2012 and was at its lowest, 6.17 million constant 2022 US$, in 1978.
Lesotho ranks 159th of 172 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 58 years of available data.
Military spending in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 12.58 million constant 2022 US$ | — |
| 1967 | 12.66 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 12.60 million constant 2022 US$ | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 12.16 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.5% |
| 1970 | 11.11 million constant 2022 US$ | -8.6% |
| 1971 | 10.54 million constant 2022 US$ | -5.1% |
| 1972 | 10.16 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.6% |
| 1973 | 9.46 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.9% |
| 1974 | 8.25 million constant 2022 US$ | -12.8% |
| 1975 | 7.71 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.5% |
| 1976 | 7.12 million constant 2022 US$ | -7.6% |
| 1977 | 6.99 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.9% |
| 1978 | 6.17 million constant 2022 US$ | -11.8% |
| 1979 | 16.60 million constant 2022 US$ | +169.3% |
| 1980 | 21.38 million constant 2022 US$ | +28.8% |
| 1981 | 25.57 million constant 2022 US$ | +19.6% |
| 1982 | 29.94 million constant 2022 US$ | +17.1% |
| 1983 | 45.58 million constant 2022 US$ | +52.3% |
| 1984 | 57.68 million constant 2022 US$ | +26.5% |
| 1985 | 42.37 million constant 2022 US$ | -26.5% |
| 1986 | 49.84 million constant 2022 US$ | +17.6% |
| 1987 | 38.48 million constant 2022 US$ | -22.8% |
| 1988 | 38.84 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 52.22 million constant 2022 US$ | +34.4% |
| 1990 | 54.71 million constant 2022 US$ | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 42.82 million constant 2022 US$ | -21.7% |
| 1992 | 47.13 million constant 2022 US$ | +10.1% |
| 1993 | 40.16 million constant 2022 US$ | -14.8% |
| 1994 | 42.60 million constant 2022 US$ | +6.1% |
| 1995 | 46.17 million constant 2022 US$ | +8.4% |
| 1996 | 45.47 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 46.02 million constant 2022 US$ | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 48.91 million constant 2022 US$ | +6.3% |
| 1999 | 47.35 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 43.39 million constant 2022 US$ | -8.4% |
| 2001 | 38.57 million constant 2022 US$ | -11.1% |
| 2002 | 33.80 million constant 2022 US$ | -12.4% |
| 2003 | 37.85 million constant 2022 US$ | +12.0% |
| 2004 | 45.23 million constant 2022 US$ | +19.5% |
| 2005 | 43.91 million constant 2022 US$ | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 44.59 million constant 2022 US$ | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 46.67 million constant 2022 US$ | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 44.36 million constant 2022 US$ | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 58.52 million constant 2022 US$ | +31.9% |
| 2010 | 62.29 million constant 2022 US$ | +6.4% |
| 2011 | 62.14 million constant 2022 US$ | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 62.31 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 59.53 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 56.57 million constant 2022 US$ | -5.0% |
| 2015 | 54.35 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 52.21 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 59.40 million constant 2022 US$ | +13.8% |
| 2018 | 59.55 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 56.63 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.9% |
| 2020 | 50.20 million constant 2022 US$ | -11.4% |
| 2021 | 47.59 million constant 2022 US$ | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 43.07 million constant 2022 US$ | -9.5% |
| 2023 | 44.77 million constant 2022 US$ | +4.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 44.77 million constant 2022 US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 485.52 million constant 2022 US$, 9% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 44.77 million constant 2022 US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 350.64 million constant 2022 US$, 13% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +169.3% | 6.17 million constant 2022 US$ | 16.60 million constant 2022 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.50 million constant 2022 US$ | 12.16 million constant 2022 US$ | 12.66 million constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
| 1970s | 9.41 million constant 2022 US$ | 6.17 million constant 2022 US$ | 16.60 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 40.19 million constant 2022 US$ | 21.38 million constant 2022 US$ | 57.68 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.13 million constant 2022 US$ | 40.16 million constant 2022 US$ | 54.71 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.69 million constant 2022 US$ | 33.80 million constant 2022 US$ | 58.52 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.50 million constant 2022 US$ | 52.21 million constant 2022 US$ | 62.31 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.41 million constant 2022 US$ | 43.07 million constant 2022 US$ | 50.20 million constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 156 Suriname 60.49 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 157 East Timor 57.24 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 158 Barbados 50.59 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 160 Liberia 39.49 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 161 Belize 32.73 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 162 Bhutan 31.32 million constant 2022 US$ compare
More reference data data for Lesotho
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0331 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5388 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0101 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1115 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0549 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending in Lesotho?
- Military spending in Lesotho was 44.77 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023, according to Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 62.31 million constant 2022 US$ in 2012.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.17 million constant 2022 US$ in 1978.
- How does Lesotho rank for military spending?
- Lesotho ranks 159th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 58 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.