GDP per employed person in Lesotho
Lesotho: GDP per employed person was 8,639 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
8,639 constant 2021 PPP $
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
160th
of 177 countries
All-time high
9,349 constant 2021 PPP $
in 2016
All-time low
4,203 constant 2021 PPP $
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
GDP per employed person in Lesotho, 1991–2025
Source: World Bank, International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Division, Eurostat, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2021 PPP $.
Analysis
In 2025, gdp per employed person in Lesotho stood at 8,639 constant 2021 PPP $.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per employed person in Lesotho peaked at 9,349 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2016 and was at its lowest, 4,203 constant 2021 PPP $, in 1991.
That places Lesotho 160th out of 177 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
GDP per employed person in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | constant 2021 PPP $ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4,203 constant 2021 PPP $ | — |
| 1992 | 4,413 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.0% |
| 1993 | 4,494 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 4,684 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 4,768 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 4,953 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 5,074 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 5,097 constant 2021 PPP $ | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 5,087 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 5,270 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 5,453 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 5,506 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 5,783 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.0% |
| 2004 | 5,936 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 6,203 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 6,512 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 6,775 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 7,134 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 7,066 constant 2021 PPP $ | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 7,433 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 7,776 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 8,222 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.7% |
| 2013 | 8,372 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 8,601 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 8,962 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 9,349 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 9,142 constant 2021 PPP $ | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 9,088 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 9,052 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 8,418 constant 2021 PPP $ | -7.0% |
| 2021 | 8,506 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 8,309 constant 2021 PPP $ | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 8,288 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 8,576 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.5% |
| 2025 | 8,639 constant 2021 PPP $ | +0.7% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 8,639 constant 2021 PPP $ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17,977 constant 2021 PPP $, 48% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 8,639 constant 2021 PPP $ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10,880 constant 2021 PPP $, 79% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4,752 constant 2021 PPP $ | 4,203 constant 2021 PPP $ | 5,097 constant 2021 PPP $ | 9 |
| 2000s | 6,164 constant 2021 PPP $ | 5,270 constant 2021 PPP $ | 7,134 constant 2021 PPP $ | 10 |
| 2010s | 8,600 constant 2021 PPP $ | 7,433 constant 2021 PPP $ | 9,349 constant 2021 PPP $ | 10 |
| 2020s | 8,456 constant 2021 PPP $ | 8,288 constant 2021 PPP $ | 8,639 constant 2021 PPP $ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More work & labour data for Lesotho
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1902 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1964 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1849 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.293 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.37 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1,485 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,719 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,674 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,586 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3,259 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp per employed person in Lesotho?
- Gdp per employed person in Lesotho was 8,639 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2025, according to World Bank, International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Division, Eurostat, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gdp per employed person recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 9,349 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2016.
- What is the lowest gdp per employed person recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,203 constant 2021 PPP $ in 1991.
- How does Lesotho rank for gdp per employed person?
- Lesotho ranks 160th out of 177 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gdp per employed person rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Division, Eurostat, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of GDP per employed person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Gross domestic product (GDP) divided by the total number of people employed in the economy. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.