Military spending, per capita in Lesotho
Lesotho: Military spending, per capita was 19.37 constant 2022 US$ per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Military spending, per capita in Lesotho, 1966–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in constant 2022 US$ per person.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 19.37 constant 2022 US$ per person for military spending, per capita in 2023.
That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and down 33.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending, per capita in Lesotho peaked at 36.53 constant 2022 US$ per person in 1984 and was at its lowest, 4.65 constant 2022 US$ per person, in 1978.
That places Lesotho 140th out of 171 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 58 years of available data.
Military spending, per capita in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 14.27 constant 2022 US$ per person | — |
| 1967 | 13.85 constant 2022 US$ per person | -3.0% |
| 1968 | 13.29 constant 2022 US$ per person | -4.1% |
| 1969 | 12.36 constant 2022 US$ per person | -6.9% |
| 1970 | 10.9 constant 2022 US$ per person | -11.8% |
| 1971 | 9.98 constant 2022 US$ per person | -8.4% |
| 1972 | 9.29 constant 2022 US$ per person | -7.0% |
| 1973 | 8.35 constant 2022 US$ per person | -10.0% |
| 1974 | 7.04 constant 2022 US$ per person | -15.8% |
| 1975 | 6.35 constant 2022 US$ per person | -9.7% |
| 1976 | 5.68 constant 2022 US$ per person | -10.5% |
| 1977 | 5.42 constant 2022 US$ per person | -4.7% |
| 1978 | 4.65 constant 2022 US$ per person | -14.3% |
| 1979 | 12.15 constant 2022 US$ per person | +161.6% |
| 1980 | 15.2 constant 2022 US$ per person | +25.1% |
| 1981 | 17.66 constant 2022 US$ per person | +16.1% |
| 1982 | 20.08 constant 2022 US$ per person | +13.7% |
| 1983 | 29.71 constant 2022 US$ per person | +47.9% |
| 1984 | 36.53 constant 2022 US$ per person | +23.0% |
| 1985 | 26.08 constant 2022 US$ per person | -28.6% |
| 1986 | 29.91 constant 2022 US$ per person | +14.7% |
| 1987 | 22.59 constant 2022 US$ per person | -24.5% |
| 1988 | 22.33 constant 2022 US$ per person | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 29.41 constant 2022 US$ per person | +31.7% |
| 1990 | 30.23 constant 2022 US$ per person | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 23.24 constant 2022 US$ per person | -23.1% |
| 1992 | 25.16 constant 2022 US$ per person | +8.3% |
| 1993 | 21.11 constant 2022 US$ per person | -16.1% |
| 1994 | 22.1 constant 2022 US$ per person | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 23.66 constant 2022 US$ per person | +7.1% |
| 1996 | 23.05 constant 2022 US$ per person | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 23.15 constant 2022 US$ per person | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 24.48 constant 2022 US$ per person | +5.7% |
| 1999 | 23.64 constant 2022 US$ per person | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 21.65 constant 2022 US$ per person | -8.4% |
| 2001 | 19.28 constant 2022 US$ per person | -11.0% |
| 2002 | 16.95 constant 2022 US$ per person | -12.1% |
| 2003 | 19.07 constant 2022 US$ per person | +12.5% |
| 2004 | 22.94 constant 2022 US$ per person | +20.3% |
| 2005 | 22.48 constant 2022 US$ per person | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 22.93 constant 2022 US$ per person | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 23.9 constant 2022 US$ per person | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 22.56 constant 2022 US$ per person | -5.6% |
| 2009 | 29.54 constant 2022 US$ per person | +31.0% |
| 2010 | 31.2 constant 2022 US$ per person | +5.6% |
| 2011 | 30.86 constant 2022 US$ per person | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 30.63 constant 2022 US$ per person | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 28.95 constant 2022 US$ per person | -5.5% |
| 2014 | 27.19 constant 2022 US$ per person | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 25.83 constant 2022 US$ per person | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 24.51 constant 2022 US$ per person | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 27.54 constant 2022 US$ per person | +12.4% |
| 2018 | 27.27 constant 2022 US$ per person | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 25.63 constant 2022 US$ per person | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 22.46 constant 2022 US$ per person | -12.4% |
| 2021 | 21.04 constant 2022 US$ per person | -6.3% |
| 2022 | 18.84 constant 2022 US$ per person | -10.5% |
| 2023 | 19.37 constant 2022 US$ per person | +2.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 19.37 constant 2022 US$ per person is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 35.33 constant 2022 US$ per person, 55% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 19.37 constant 2022 US$ per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.8 constant 2022 US$ per person, 93% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending, per capita 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 | +161.6% | 4.65 constant 2022 US$ per person | 12.15 constant 2022 US$ per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 13.44 constant 2022 US$ per person | 12.36 constant 2022 US$ per person | 14.27 constant 2022 US$ per person | 4 |
| 1970s | 7.98 constant 2022 US$ per person | 4.65 constant 2022 US$ per person | 12.15 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 24.95 constant 2022 US$ per person | 15.2 constant 2022 US$ per person | 36.53 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.98 constant 2022 US$ per person | 21.11 constant 2022 US$ per person | 30.23 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.13 constant 2022 US$ per person | 16.95 constant 2022 US$ per person | 29.54 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.96 constant 2022 US$ per person | 24.51 constant 2022 US$ per person | 31.2 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.43 constant 2022 US$ per person | 18.84 constant 2022 US$ per person | 22.46 constant 2022 US$ per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 137 Mauritius 23.17 constant 2022 US$ per person compare
- 138 Chad 21.27 constant 2022 US$ per person compare
- 139 Zambia 20.33 constant 2022 US$ per person compare
- 141 Cameroon 19.21 constant 2022 US$ per person compare
- 142 Nepal 17.85 constant 2022 US$ per person compare
- 143 Nigeria 17.84 constant 2022 US$ per person 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, per capita in Lesotho?
- Military spending, per capita in Lesotho was 19.37 constant 2022 US$ per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest military spending, per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 36.53 constant 2022 US$ per person in 1984.
- What is the lowest military spending, per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.65 constant 2022 US$ per person in 1978.
- How does Lesotho rank for military spending, per capita?
- Lesotho ranks 140th out of 171 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending, per capita rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Military spending, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 58 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Military spending divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Military spending ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Military spending Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Military spending divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.