Value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) was 43 % in 2022. ▲ Rising
Value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) in Lesotho, 2000–2022
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 43 % for value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) in 2022.
That represents a change of up 13.2% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) in Lesotho peaked at 45 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 17 %, in 2004.
Lesotho ranks 42nd of 181 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 45 % | — |
| 2001 | 35 % | -22.2% |
| 2002 | 25 % | -28.6% |
| 2003 | 19 % | -24.0% |
| 2004 | 17 % | -10.5% |
| 2005 | 17 % | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 19 % | +11.8% |
| 2007 | 21 % | +10.5% |
| 2008 | 26 % | +23.8% |
| 2009 | 28 % | +7.7% |
| 2010 | 30 % | +7.1% |
| 2011 | 34 % | +13.3% |
| 2012 | 41 % | +20.6% |
| 2013 | 42 % | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 38 % | -9.5% |
| 2015 | 34 % | -10.5% |
| 2016 | 28 % | -17.6% |
| 2017 | 26 % | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 26 % | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 30 % | +15.4% |
| 2020 | 35 % | +16.7% |
| 2021 | 38 % | +8.6% |
| 2022 | 43 % | +13.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 43 % is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 27 %, 1.6× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 43 % is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 29 %, 1.5× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.2 % | 17 % | 45 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.9 % | 26 % | 42 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.67 % | 35 % | 43 % | 3 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More agriculture & rural data for Lesotho
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 5.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0649 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 70.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6715 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5533 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 5.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) in Lesotho?
- Value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) in Lesotho was 43 % in 2022, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 45 % in 2000.
- What is the lowest value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 17 % in 2004.
- How does Lesotho rank for value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year)?
- Lesotho ranks 42nd out of 181 countries with data for 2022.
- Is value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year) rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Value of food imports in total merchandise exports (percent) (3-year average) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.