Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Lesotho
Lesotho: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 0.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Lesotho, 2002–2023
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 0.1% for research & development spending as a share of gdp in 2023. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 653.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Lesotho peaked at 0.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2011.
That places Lesotho 103rd out of 116 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 0.0% | — |
| 2003 | 0.0% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | +28.8% |
| 2009 | 0.0% | -47.4% |
| 2011 | 0.0% | -56.9% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | +306.5% |
| 2023 | 0.1% | +85.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 0.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.2%, 58% of the median. (17 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 0.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.3%, 36% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 4 |
| 2010s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 100 Burkina Faso 0.1% compare
- 101 Uzbekistan 0.1% compare
- 102 El Salvador 0.1% compare
- 104 Turkmenistan 0.1% compare
- 105 Tajikistan 0.1% compare
- 106 Kuwait 0.1% compare
More science & technology data for Lesotho
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 70.33 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 0.7033 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 1.64 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 52.8 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 1.41 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 60.18 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Lesotho?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Lesotho was 0.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2011.
- How does Lesotho rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Lesotho ranks 103rd out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 653.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Research & development spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.