Photo: User:Kentstander derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 2.5 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 17 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Lesotho: Digital & Technology
How ready is a country to use, make and trade technology?
Lesotho is placed 158th of 198 countries on digital & technology in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: GovTech Maturity Index 0.343 (2025); Government AI Readiness Index 28.95 (2025).
Share
Digital & Technology
158th
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 0.343GovTech Maturity Index, 2025GTMI score (0–1)
- 28.95Government AI Readiness Index, 2025AI readiness score (0–100)
- -0.696Government Cyber Security Capacity, 2025Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity
- 6.57Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports, 2024Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Lesotho on digital & technology — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
0.343
GTMI score (0–1)
Higher is better
Lesotho: 0.343. Across the 196 countries in this edition, values run from 0.01 (North Korea) to 0.997 (South Korea); the world median is 0.63.
- World median
- 0.63
- Best in Southern Africa
- 0.623 South Africa
- Land neighbours
- South Africa 0.623
28.95
AI readiness score (0–100)
Higher is better
Ranked 131st of 195 by Oxford Insights
Lesotho: 28.95. Across the 195 countries in this edition, values run from 12.12 (Guinea-Bissau) to 88.36 (United States); the world median is 40.19.
- World median
- 40.19
- Best in Southern Africa
- 53.94 South Africa
- Land neighbours
- South Africa 53.94
Key 3 of 4
Government Cyber Security Capacity
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
-0.696
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity
Higher is better
Lesotho: -0.696. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from -2.66 (Liberia) to 3.715 (Estonia); the world median is 0.196.
- World median
- 0.196
- Best in Southern Africa
- 0.517 South Africa
- Land neighbours
- South Africa 0.517
Key 4 of 4
Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
6.57
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports)
Higher is better
Lesotho: 6.57. Across the 170 countries in this edition, values run from 0.377 (Gambia) to 87.15 (Ireland); the world median is 25.42.
- World median
- 25.42
- Best in Southern Africa
- 52.92 South Africa
- Land neighbours
- South Africa 52.92
02Over time
Which way Lesotho is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Government AI Readiness Index
AI readiness score (0–100) · higher is better
LesothoWorld median
Lesotho fell from 35.55 in 2020 to 28.95 in 2025; the world median went from 39.58 to 40.19.
Every year’s figures
Year Lesotho World median 2025 29.0 40.2 2024 28.2 43.3 2023 26.2 41.4 2022 26.1 40.3 2021 29.8 44.1 2020 35.6 39.6 Government Cyber Security Capacity
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity · higher is better
LesothoWorld median
Lesotho rose from -0.759 in 2000 to -0.696 in 2025; the world median went from -0.514 to 0.196.
Every year’s figures
Year Lesotho World median 2025 -0.70 0.20 2024 -0.70 0.11 2023 -0.70 0.14 2022 -0.70 0.16 2021 -0.72 0.12 2020 -0.72 0.12 2019 -0.72 0.10 2018 -0.76 -0.05 2017 -0.76 -0.08 2016 -0.76 -0.10 2015 -0.76 -0.17 2014 -0.76 -0.21 2013 -0.76 -0.21 2012 -0.76 -0.25 2011 -0.76 -0.32 2010 -0.76 -0.31 2009 -0.76 -0.50 2008 -0.76 -0.51 2007 -0.76 -0.51 2006 -0.76 -0.55 2005 -0.76 -0.55 2004 -0.76 -0.55 2003 -0.76 -0.55 2002 -0.76 -0.51 2001 -0.76 -0.51 2000 -0.76 -0.51 Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) · higher is better
LesothoWorld median
Lesotho fell from 21.15 in 2010 to 6.57 in 2024; the world median went from 19.88 to 25.42.
Every year’s figures
Year Lesotho World median 2024 6.6 25.42 2023 5.9 26.03 2022 6.5 26.04 2021 22.5 29.80 2020 8.5 29.47 2019 5.8 18.36 2018 4.6 20.09 2017 9.5 18.32 2016 7.1 18.15 2015 6.9 19.57 2014 12.3 21.00 2013 15.0 20.50 2012 15.2 19.56 2011 11.2 19.21 2010 21.1 19.88
03In context
Lesotho beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on digital & technology, never a place within the region.
Lesotho and the countries it borders
Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | GovTech Maturity IndexGTMI score (0–1) | Government AI Readiness IndexAI readiness score (0–100) | Government Cyber Security CapacityOriginal latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity | Digitally-Deliverable Services ExportsDigitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 South Africa | 61st | 0.623 | 53.94 | 0.517 | 52.92 |
| Lesotho | 158th | 0.343 | 28.95 | -0.696 | 6.57 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Southern Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on digital & technology
The countries immediately above and below Lesotho in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Lesotho is ahead of the world, and behind
18 more statistics filed under digital & technology, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median3
Statistics on which Lesotho does better than the middle country measured.
Made or Received a Digital PaymentWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 51.6558.3551.65▲ Improved since 2017
Lesotho: 58.35 · world median 51.65 · Adults who made or received a digital payment in the past year (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 12.26 to 94.91; higher is better.
Position 38th of 98 · derived.
Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness IndexOECD · 2025 · world median 0.2060.1660.206▲ Improved since 2015
Lesotho: 0.166 · world median 0.206 · Digital STRI (0 = open, 1 = closed). OECD, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.021 to 0.649; lower is better.
Position 77th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Government Internet ShutdownsV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.0231.3171.023▲ Improved since 2015
Lesotho: 1.317 · world median 1.023 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4 to +2); higher = fewer shutdowns. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.547 to 2.081; higher is better.
Position 73rd of 176 · derived.
Behind the world median12
Statistics on which Lesotho does worse than the middle country measured.
Government Dissemination of False Information (Domestic)V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median -0.114-0.142-0.114▼ Worsened since 2015
Lesotho: -0.142 · world median -0.114 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.2); higher = less disinformation. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.392 to 2.93; higher is better.
Position 90th of 176 · derived.
Government Social Media CensorshipV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.5050.0910.505▲ Improved since 2015
Lesotho: 0.091 · world median 0.505 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4.5 to +2.4); higher = less censorship. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.721 to 2.295; higher is better.
Position 100th of 176 · derived.
Share of Firms' Payments Made ElectronicallyWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 64.2255.9764.22No earlier reading
Lesotho: 55.97 · world median 64.22 · Payments made electronically in a typical month, excluding payroll and payments to government (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 2.172 to 99.91; higher is better.
Firms with Their Own WebsiteWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 62.3949.8262.39No earlier reading
Lesotho: 49.82 · world median 62.39 · Firms with their own website (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.824 to 97.88; higher is better.
Position 121st of 181 · derived.
Firms Experiencing Internet DisruptionsWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 32.3545.4632.35No earlier reading
Lesotho: 45.46 · world median 32.35 · Firms that experienced internet outages or slow-downs (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0.735 to 82.39; lower is better.
Position 50th of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
AI User Share of the Working-Age PopulationMicrosoft AI Economy Institute · 2026 · world median 15.459.915.45▼ Worsened since 2025
Lesotho: 9.9 · world median 15.45 · Generative-AI users (% of population aged 15–64). Microsoft AI Economy Institute, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 6.1 to 73.3; higher is better.
Frontier Technology Readiness IndexUNCTAD · 2023 · world median 0.4850.2470.485▼ Worsened since 2013
Lesotho: 0.247 · world median 0.485 · Frontier Technology Readiness Index (0–1). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1; higher is better.
Position 138th of 170 · derived.
Internet Use Among AdultsWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 83.0545.8983.05No earlier reading
Lesotho: 45.89 · world median 83.05 · Adults who used the internet in the past three months (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 11.06 to 99.12; higher is better.
Position 116th of 140 · derived.
Smartphone OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 78.7845.0978.78No earlier reading
Lesotho: 45.09 · world median 78.78 · Adults whose main mobile phone is a smartphone (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 8.663 to 97.36; higher is better.
Position 116th of 140 · derived.
Mobile Phone OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 91.6878.9891.68No earlier reading
Lesotho: 78.98 · world median 91.68 · Adults who own a mobile phone (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 45.83 to 100; higher is better.
Position 118th of 140 · derived.
ICT Goods ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 0.9750.050.975▼ Worsened since 2014
Lesotho: 0.05 · world median 0.975 · ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 61.45; higher is better.
Position 105th of 119 · derived.
ICT Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 7.47407.474▼ Worsened since 2014
Lesotho: 0 · world median 7.474 · ICT services exports (% of services exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 56.25; higher is better.
Position 118th of 118 · derived.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
GitHub RepositoriesGitHub · 2026 · world median 141,45425,063141,454Moved since 2020
Lesotho: 25,063 · world median 141,454 · Public repositories located in the economy (as of quarter end). GitHub, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 142 to 77,284,974.
GitHub DevelopersGitHub · 2026 · world median 84,67010,45984,670Moved since 2020
Lesotho: 10,459 · world median 84,670 · Developer accounts located in the economy (as of quarter end). GitHub, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 110 to 32,410,529.
GitHub Git PushesGitHub · 2025 · world median 148,71417,648148,714Moved since 2021
Lesotho: 17,648 · world median 148,714 · Git pushes during the quarter. GitHub, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1,967 to 40,768,192.
No current reading for Lesotho
Anthropic AI Usage Index, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching and Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes (last 2018). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Digital & Technology among Lesotho’s 14 topics
Digital & Technology is Lesotho’s 10th best-placed topic of 14. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 22nd of 1862/4 keys
- Peace & Security57th of 1774/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 62nd of 1834/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Libertiesjoint 73rd of 1984/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience111th of 1934/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 115th of 1944/4 keys
- Economy & Innovationjoint 132nd of 1763/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 140th of 1824/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge154th of 1984/4 keys
- Digital & Technology158th of 1984/4 keys
- Food & Agriculturejoint 158th of 1843/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital178th of 1963/3 keys
- Poverty & Inequality151st of 1593/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing194th of 2004/4 keys
No standing on Mobility & Trade, Energy: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on digital & technology
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Lesotho can most readily be measured against.
=1
EstoniaNorthern Europe
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, greyscale
=1
South KoreaEastern Asia
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia
3rd of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Khairul Nizam . · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Mauritius20th4/4 keysHighest in Southern Africa
South Africa61st4/4 keysThis page
Lesotho158th4/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Lesotho on digital & technology: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Lesotho rank on digital & technology?
Lesotho is placed 158th of 198 countries on Digital & Technology in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (GovTech Maturity Index, Government AI Readiness Index, Government Cyber Security Capacity and Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest GovTech Maturity Index figure for Lesotho?
0.343 in 2025 (gTMI score (0–1)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.63.
What is the latest Government AI Readiness Index figure for Lesotho?
28.95 in 2025 (aI readiness score (0–100)), according to Oxford Insights. The world median in the same edition was 40.19.
How does Lesotho compare with South Africa on digital & technology?
South Africa is placed 61st of 198, and Lesotho 158th. GovTech Maturity Index: South Africa 0.623, Lesotho 0.343; Government AI Readiness Index: South Africa 53.94, Lesotho 28.95; Government Cyber Security Capacity: South Africa 0.517, Lesotho -0.696; Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports: South Africa 52.92, Lesotho 6.57.
How have Lesotho’s digital & technology figures changed?
Government AI Readiness Index fell from 35.55 in 2020 to 28.95 in 2025; Government Cyber Security Capacity rose from -0.759 in 2000 to -0.696 in 2025; Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports fell from 21.15 in 2010 to 6.57 in 2024.
Which digital & technology statistics are missing for Lesotho?
No current reading is published for Lesotho on Anthropic AI Usage Index, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching and Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Broadband and mobile subscriptions, connection speeds and the cost of getting online are absent, for the licence reason above; internet use and phone ownership, from the World Bank’s own household survey, and firms’ websites and internet disruptions, from its Enterprise Surveys, are published here as context. The ICT share of goods exports votes under Mobility & Trade. Digital public services and data-protection law are not held yet. Research and development spending is filed under Education & Knowledge, and what an economy knows how to make is under Economy & Innovation.
How the Digital & Technology standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The digital & technology method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- GovTech Maturity Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Government AI Readiness Index — Oxford Insights, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Cyber Security Capacity — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
The other 18 statistics on this page come from 6 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Lesotho’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Lesotho (banner) — User:Kentstander derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 2.5
- Estonia — Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee
- South Korea — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Singapore — Khairul Nizam ., CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Lesotho: Digital & Technology — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/lesotho/digital