Formal Savings Statistics in Lesotho (2026)

According to World Bank Global Findex data, 12.9% of adults in Lesotho saved at a formal financial institution in 2024. Down from 16.5% in 2022 to 12.9% in 2024 (−3.6 percentage points). Lesotho ranks #16 of 36 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa on this measure, and #101 of 142 globally.

Key Statistics

Latest value (2024): 12.9% (2024); Formal Savings in Lesotho as of 2024, the most recent observation in World Bank Global Findex data.
Change since 2022: −3.6 pp (2024); Down from 16.5% in 2022 to 12.9% in 2024 (−3.6 percentage points).
Earliest value in this dataset (2011): 7.9% (2011); Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Up from 7.9% in 2011 to 12.9% in 2024.
Peak value (2022): 16.5% (2022); Highest value in the available series; the 2024 value is 12.9%.
Rank in Sub-Saharan Africa: #16 of 36 (2024); Lesotho ranks 16 of 36 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data, based on each country's latest value.
Global rank: #101 of 142 (2024); Lesotho ranks 101 of 142 countries with data globally.
Sub-Saharan Africa average: 13.9% (2024); Lesotho (12.9%) is below the average of 13.9% across the 36 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data.
Among women (2024): 12.4% (2024); Value for women in Lesotho, same 2024 World Bank Global Findex data.
Among men (2024): 13.5% (2024); Value for men in Lesotho, same 2024 World Bank Global Findex data.
Gender gap (women minus men): −1.1 pp (2024); In 2024, the figure was 12.4% for women and 13.5% for men — 1.1 percentage points lower among women.
In rural areas (2024): 12.6% (2024); Value for rural residents of Lesotho in 2024.
Rural gap vs national: −0.3 pp (2024); Rural residents (12.6%) are 0.3 percentage points below the national figure (12.9%).
Internet use in Lesotho (2024): 51.8% (2024); 51.8% of the population in Lesotho used the internet in 2024 (World Bank); shown for context only.
Population (2024): 2.3 million (2024); Lesotho had a population of 2.3 million in 2024 (World Bank); shown for scale only.

Trend, 2011–2024

Formal Savings in Lesotho by year (% of adults (age 15+))
Year	% of adults (age 15+)	Change
2024	12.9%	−3.6 pp
2022	16.5%	+7.7 pp
2017	8.8%	+0.9 pp
2011	7.9%	—

Fig. 1 — Formal Savings in Lesotho, 2011–2024

Frequently asked questions

What share of adults in Lesotho saved at a formal financial institution?

12.9% of adults in Lesotho saved at a formal financial institution in 2024, according to World Bank Global Findex data.

Is there a gender gap in formal savings in Lesotho?

Yes — in 2024 the figure was 12.4% for women and 13.5% for men, a gap of 1.1 percentage points in favor of men.

When did formal savings in Lesotho peak?

The highest value in the available series was 16.5% in 2022; the latest (2024) value is 12.9%.

How recent is the formal savings data for Lesotho?

The most recent observation is from 2024. World Bank Global Findex data is reported with a lag, so 2024 is the latest available year for Lesotho.

Where does the formal savings data for Lesotho come from?

The data comes from the World Bank Global Findex (indicator fin17a). The latest observation for Lesotho is from 2024; the snapshot was retrieved on 2026-06-10.

Source & methodology

Source: World Bank Global Findex, indicator fin17a, retrieved 2026-06-10.

Figures are shown exactly as published in the source dataset; only the change column of the trend table is computed from adjacent published values.Read more on the methodology page. All figures are estimates and projections; this is not financial advice.

Last updated 2026-06-10.