Official exchange rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Official exchange rate was 17.89 LCU per US$, period average in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
17.89 LCU per US$, period average
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
98th
of 215 countries
All-time high
18.45 LCU per US$, period average
in 2023
All-time low
0.6795 LCU per US$, period average
in 1974
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Official exchange rate in Lesotho, 1960–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in LCU per US$, period average.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 17.89 LCU per US$, period average for official exchange rate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and up 40.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, official exchange rate in Lesotho peaked at 18.45 LCU per US$, period average in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.6795 LCU per US$, period average, in 1974.
That places Lesotho 98th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Official exchange rate in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | LCU per US$, period average | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | — |
| 1961 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.7152 LCU per US$, period average | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 0.7687 LCU per US$, period average | +7.5% |
| 1973 | 0.694 LCU per US$, period average | -9.7% |
| 1974 | 0.6795 LCU per US$, period average | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 0.7395 LCU per US$, period average | +8.8% |
| 1976 | 0.8696 LCU per US$, period average | +17.6% |
| 1977 | 0.8696 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.8696 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.842 LCU per US$, period average | -3.2% |
| 1980 | 0.7788 LCU per US$, period average | -7.5% |
| 1981 | 0.8776 LCU per US$, period average | +12.7% |
| 1982 | 1.09 LCU per US$, period average | +23.7% |
| 1983 | 1.11 LCU per US$, period average | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 1.48 LCU per US$, period average | +32.4% |
| 1985 | 2.23 LCU per US$, period average | +51.1% |
| 1986 | 2.29 LCU per US$, period average | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 2.04 LCU per US$, period average | -10.9% |
| 1988 | 2.27 LCU per US$, period average | +11.7% |
| 1989 | 2.62 LCU per US$, period average | +15.4% |
| 1990 | 2.59 LCU per US$, period average | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 2.76 LCU per US$, period average | +6.7% |
| 1992 | 2.85 LCU per US$, period average | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 3.27 LCU per US$, period average | +14.6% |
| 1994 | 3.55 LCU per US$, period average | +8.7% |
| 1995 | 3.63 LCU per US$, period average | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 4.3 LCU per US$, period average | +18.5% |
| 1997 | 4.61 LCU per US$, period average | +7.2% |
| 1998 | 5.53 LCU per US$, period average | +20.0% |
| 1999 | 6.11 LCU per US$, period average | +10.5% |
| 2000 | 6.94 LCU per US$, period average | +13.6% |
| 2001 | 8.61 LCU per US$, period average | +24.1% |
| 2002 | 10.54 LCU per US$, period average | +22.4% |
| 2003 | 7.56 LCU per US$, period average | -28.2% |
| 2004 | 6.46 LCU per US$, period average | -14.6% |
| 2005 | 6.36 LCU per US$, period average | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 6.77 LCU per US$, period average | +6.5% |
| 2007 | 7.05 LCU per US$, period average | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 8.26 LCU per US$, period average | +17.3% |
| 2009 | 8.47 LCU per US$, period average | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 7.32 LCU per US$, period average | -13.6% |
| 2011 | 7.26 LCU per US$, period average | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 8.21 LCU per US$, period average | +13.1% |
| 2013 | 9.66 LCU per US$, period average | +17.6% |
| 2014 | 10.85 LCU per US$, period average | +12.4% |
| 2015 | 12.76 LCU per US$, period average | +17.6% |
| 2016 | 14.71 LCU per US$, period average | +15.3% |
| 2017 | 13.32 LCU per US$, period average | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 13.23 LCU per US$, period average | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 14.45 LCU per US$, period average | +9.2% |
| 2020 | 16.46 LCU per US$, period average | +13.9% |
| 2021 | 14.78 LCU per US$, period average | -10.2% |
| 2022 | 16.36 LCU per US$, period average | +10.7% |
| 2023 | 18.45 LCU per US$, period average | +12.8% |
| 2024 | 18.33 LCU per US$, period average | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 17.89 LCU per US$, period average | -2.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 17.89 LCU per US$, period average is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 103.16 LCU per US$, period average, 17% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 17.89 LCU per US$, period average is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 581.93 LCU per US$, period average, 3% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | 0.7143 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7762 LCU per US$, period average | 0.6795 LCU per US$, period average | 0.8696 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.68 LCU per US$, period average | 0.7788 LCU per US$, period average | 2.62 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.92 LCU per US$, period average | 2.59 LCU per US$, period average | 6.11 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.7 LCU per US$, period average | 6.36 LCU per US$, period average | 10.54 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.18 LCU per US$, period average | 7.26 LCU per US$, period average | 14.71 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.04 LCU per US$, period average | 14.78 LCU per US$, period average | 18.45 LCU per US$, period average | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 95 Sierra Leone 21.3 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 96 Mexico 19.24 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 97 Eswatini 17.89 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 98 South Africa 17.89 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 100 Namibia 17.89 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 101 Moldova 17.38 LCU per US$, period average compare
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 official exchange rate in Lesotho?
- Official exchange rate in Lesotho was 17.89 LCU per US$, period average in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest official exchange rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 18.45 LCU per US$, period average in 2023.
- What is the lowest official exchange rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6795 LCU per US$, period average in 1974.
- How does Lesotho rank for official exchange rate?
- Lesotho ranks 98th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is official exchange rate rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Official exchange rate refers to the exchange rate determined by national authorities or to the rate determined in the legally sanctioned exchange market. This indicator represents the ratio of Local Currency Units relative to United States dollars.This indicator is derived as an average over the reference period.