Lesotho — Inflation
Inflation, Consumer Prices (Annual %) for Lesotho, 1974–2025.
Inflation for Lesotho was 4.27% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 49 years, from 1974 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 33.81% in 2002. The lowest was -16.86% in 2009 (about -3.9× the latest value). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -2.22% per year.
Lesotho ranks 53 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 28%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 3.51%, so Lesotho sits above it. It peaked in 2002 and has fallen 87% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 33%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 18 of 46 economies; Kenya (4.07%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 452% in 2002. That is 22% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1974 level: doubled by 2002.
World ranking. Climbed: 69th of 100 in 1974 → 44th of 106 in 1980 → 50th of 131 in 1990 → 51st of 163 in 2000 → 184th of 186 in 2010 → 42nd of 178 in 2020 → 45th of 169 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1974 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.27% | -1.8 pp |
| 2024 | 6.11% | -0.2 pp |
| 2023 | 6.34% | -1.9 pp |
| 2022 | 8.27% | +2.2 pp |
| 2021 | 6.05% | +1.1 pp |
| 2020 | 4.98% | -0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 5.19% | +0.4 pp |
| 2018 | 4.75% | +0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 4.45% | -2.1 pp |
| 2016 | 6.6% | +3.4 pp |
| 2015 | 3.22% | -2.2 pp |
| 2014 | 5.37% | +0.5 pp |
| 2013 | 4.87% | -1.2 pp |
| 2012 | 6.05% | +1.0 pp |
| 2011 | 5.04% | +7.4 pp |
| 2010 | -2.41% | +14.5 pp |
| 2009 | -16.86% | -27.6 pp |
| 2008 | 10.72% | +2.7 pp |
| 2007 | 8.01% | +1.9 pp |
| 2006 | 6.07% | +2.6 pp |
| 2005 | 3.44% | -1.6 pp |
| 2004 | 5.02% | -1.6 pp |
| 2003 | 6.63% | -27.2 pp |
| 2002 | 33.81% | +43.4 pp |
| 2001 | -9.62% | -15.7 pp |
| 2000 | 6.13% | -3.2 pp |
| 1996 | 9.33% | +0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 9.27% | +1.1 pp |
| 1994 | 8.21% | -4.9 pp |
| 1993 | 13.14% | -4.1 pp |
| 1992 | 17.21% | -0.5 pp |
| 1991 | 17.68% | +6.0 pp |
| 1990 | 11.63% | -3.1 pp |
| 1989 | 14.73% | +3.3 pp |
| 1988 | 11.46% | -0.3 pp |
| 1987 | 11.75% | -6.3 pp |
| 1986 | 18% | +4.7 pp |
| 1985 | 13.32% | +2.3 pp |
| 1984 | 10.98% | -6.5 pp |
| 1983 | 17.49% | +5.4 pp |
| 1982 | 12.14% | -0.3 pp |
| 1981 | 12.41% | -3.9 pp |
| 1980 | 16.27% | +0.3 pp |
| 1979 | 16% | +2.5 pp |
| 1978 | 13.48% | -3.2 pp |
| 1977 | 16.69% | +5.3 pp |
| 1976 | 11.41% | -2.8 pp |
| 1975 | 14.21% | +0.8 pp |
| 1974 | 13.42% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Lesotho’s Inflation in 1975?
14.21% (1975). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Lesotho’s Inflation growing or shrinking?
Between 1974 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -68.2% in total — about 2.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 4.27%; 2024: 6.11%; 2023: 6.34%; 2022: 8.27%; 2021: 6.05%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG — Inflation, Consumer Prices (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.