Lending interest rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Lending interest rate was 11.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Lending interest rate in Lesotho, 1980–2024
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 11.2% for lending interest rate in 2024.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lending interest rate in Lesotho peaked at 20.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 8.2%, in 2021.
Lesotho ranks 53rd of 149 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Lending interest rate in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11.0% | — |
| 1981 | 15.0% | +36.4% |
| 1982 | 17.0% | +13.3% |
| 1983 | 15.4% | -9.3% |
| 1984 | 17.6% | +14.1% |
| 1985 | 19.7% | +11.8% |
| 1986 | 13.4% | -31.8% |
| 1987 | 11.1% | -17.1% |
| 1988 | 13.7% | +22.8% |
| 1989 | 18.8% | +37.2% |
| 1990 | 20.4% | +8.9% |
| 1991 | 20.0% | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 18.2% | -8.8% |
| 1993 | 15.8% | -13.2% |
| 1994 | 14.2% | -10.0% |
| 1995 | 16.4% | +14.9% |
| 1996 | 17.7% | +8.1% |
| 1997 | 18.0% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 20.1% | +11.3% |
| 1999 | 19.1% | -5.0% |
| 2000 | 17.1% | -10.2% |
| 2001 | 16.6% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 17.1% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 16.0% | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 12.4% | -22.7% |
| 2005 | 11.7% | -5.3% |
| 2006 | 12.2% | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 14.1% | +16.2% |
| 2008 | 16.2% | +14.5% |
| 2009 | 13.0% | -19.7% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | -13.7% |
| 2011 | 10.4% | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 10.1% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 9.9% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 10.3% | +4.2% |
| 2015 | 10.6% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 11.6% | +9.5% |
| 2017 | 11.6% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 11.4% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 11.3% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 9.0% | -20.8% |
| 2021 | 8.2% | -8.5% |
| 2022 | 9.0% | +9.4% |
| 2023 | 11.1% | +23.4% |
| 2024 | 11.2% | +1.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 11.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.1%, 1.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 11.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.4%, 91% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.3% | 11.0% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.0% | 14.2% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 11.7% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.8% | 9.9% | 11.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.7% | 8.2% | 11.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More financial sector data for Lesotho
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0069 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 7.46 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0.548 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 5.45 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0069 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 7.46 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0.548 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lending interest rate in Lesotho?
- Lending interest rate in Lesotho was 11.2% in 2024, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest lending interest rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 20.4% in 1990.
- What is the lowest lending interest rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.2% in 2021.
- How does Lesotho rank for lending interest rate?
- Lesotho ranks 53rd out of 149 countries with data for 2024.
- Is lending interest rate rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Lending interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Lending rate is the bank rate that usually meets the short- and medium-term financing needs of the private sector. This rate is normally differentiated according to creditworthiness of borrowers and objectives of financing. The terms and conditions attached to these rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.