Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho

Lesotho: Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care was 30.0% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
30.0%
Change on year
up 68.5%
World rank
38th
of 134 countries
All-time high
62.4%
in 2003
All-time low
16.4%
in 2017
Years of data
15
2003–2022

Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho, 2003–2022

20304050602003201220222003: 62.4 % of people at risk2004: 59 % of people at risk2010: 30.9 % of people at risk2011: 26.4 % of people at risk2012: 26.8 % of people at risk2013: 17.3 % of people at risk2014: 29.1 % of people at risk2015: 28.5 % of people at risk2016: 24.7 % of people at risk2017: 16.4 % of people at risk2018: 21.1 % of people at risk2019: 21.8 % of people at risk2020: 27.4 % of people at risk2021: 17.8 % of people at risk2022: 30 % of people at risk

Source: Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Measured in % of people at risk.

Analysis

In 2022, risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho stood at 30.0%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 68.5% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho peaked at 62.4% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 16.4%, in 2017.

Lesotho ranks 38th of 134 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho, year by year

Annual values for Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk) in Lesotho, 2003 to 2022.
Year % of people at risk Change
2003 62.4%
2004 59.0% -5.4%
2010 30.9% -47.6%
2011 26.4% -14.6%
2012 26.8% +1.5%
2013 17.3% -35.4%
2014 29.1% +68.2%
2015 28.5% -2.1%
2016 24.7% -13.3%
2017 16.4% -33.6%
2018 21.1% +28.7%
2019 21.8% +3.3%
2020 27.4% +25.7%
2021 17.8% -35.0%
2022 30.0% +68.5%

Lesotho compared with similar countries

  • Lesotho's 30.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 29.2%, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
  • Lesotho's 30.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 51.7%, 58% of the median. (36 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 60.7% 59.0% 62.4% 2
2010s 24.3% 16.4% 30.9% 10
2020s 25.1% 17.8% 30.0% 3

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 35 Nicaragua 38.3% compare
  2. 36 Pakistan 33.7% compare
  3. 37 Lithuania 32.6% compare
  4. 39 Belize 29.5% compare
  5. 40 Sri Lanka 29.2% compare
  6. 41 Senegal 28.4% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More health data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho?
Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho was 30.0% in 2022, according to Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School.
What is the highest risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 62.4% in 2003.
What is the lowest risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 16.4% in 2017.
How does Lesotho rank for risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care?
Lesotho ranks 38th out of 134 countries with data for 2022.
Is risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School, published as part of Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/risk-of-catastrophic-expenditure-for-surgical-care-percent-of-people-at-risk/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk)
Unit
% of people at risk
Source
Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
173 places, 3,065 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

The proportion of population at risk of catastrophic expenditure when surgical care is required. Catastrophic expenditure is defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10% of total income.