Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho

Lesotho: Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care was 56.4% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
56.4%
Change on year
up 16.3%
World rank
31st
of 134 countries
All-time high
74.9%
in 2003
All-time low
45.6%
in 2017
Years of data
15
2003–2022

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

0204060802003201220222003: 74.9 % of people at risk2004: 72.6 % of people at risk2010: 54.4 % of people at risk2011: 52.9 % of people at risk2012: 52.6 % of people at risk2013: 48.9 % of people at risk2014: 56.1 % of people at risk2015: 54.2 % of people at risk2016: 52.1 % of people at risk2017: 45.6 % of people at risk2018: 50.6 % of people at risk2019: 52.4 % of people at risk2020: 55 % of people at risk2021: 48.5 % of people at risk2022: 56.4 % of people at risk

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho is 56.4%, measured in 2022.

That represents a change of up 16.3% on the previous year and up 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho peaked at 74.9% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 45.6%, in 2017.

That places Lesotho 31st out of 134 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

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

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

Annual values for Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk) in Lesotho, 2003 to 2022.
Year % of people at risk Change
2003 74.9%
2004 72.6% -3.1%
2010 54.4% -25.1%
2011 52.9% -2.8%
2012 52.6% -0.6%
2013 48.9% -7.0%
2014 56.1% +14.7%
2015 54.2% -3.4%
2016 52.1% -3.9%
2017 45.6% -12.5%
2018 50.6% +11.0%
2019 52.4% +3.6%
2020 55.0% +5.0%
2021 48.5% -11.8%
2022 56.4% +16.3%

Lesotho compared with similar countries

  • Lesotho's 56.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 49.4%, 1.1× the median. (36 countries reporting)
  • Lesotho's 56.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.3%, 80% of the median. (36 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 73.8% 72.6% 74.9% 2
2010s 52.0% 45.6% 56.1% 10
2020s 53.3% 48.5% 56.4% 3

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 28 Kenya 63.2% compare
  2. 29 Solomon Islands 57.8% compare
  3. 30 Mauritania 56.8% compare
  4. 32 Angola 54.2% compare
  5. 33 Cameroon 50.5% compare
  6. 34 Nicaragua 50.0% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More health data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho?
Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho was 56.4% in 2022, according to Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School.
What is the highest risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 74.9% in 2003.
What is the lowest risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 45.6% in 2017.
How does Lesotho rank for risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care?
Lesotho ranks 31st out of 134 countries with data for 2022.
Is risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. 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 impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/risk-of-impoverishing-expenditure-for-surgical-care-percent-of-people-at-risk/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Risk of impoverishing 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 impoverishing expenditure when surgical care is required. Impoverishing expenditure is defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care which drive people below a poverty threshold (using a threshold of $2.15 PPP/day).