Media Corruption Score in Lesotho

Lesotho: Media Corruption Score was 1.02 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
1.02
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
65th
of 175 countries
All-time high
1.74
in 2022
All-time low
0.013
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Media Corruption Score in Lesotho, 1900–2025

00.511.5190019622025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, media corruption score in Lesotho stood at 1.02.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, media corruption score in Lesotho peaked at 1.74 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.013, in 1900.

Lesotho ranks 65th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.013 0.013 0.013 10
1910s 0.013 0.013 0.013 10
1920s 0.013 0.013 0.013 10
1930s 0.013 0.013 0.013 10
1940s 0.013 0.013 0.013 10
1950s 0.013 0.013 0.013 10
1960s 0.013 0.013 0.013 10
1970s 0.013 0.013 0.013 10
1980s 0.013 0.013 0.013 10
1990s 0.7319 0.013 1.04 10
2000s 1.04 1.04 1.04 10
2010s 1.12 1.12 1.12 10
2020s 1.17 1.02 1.74 6

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 62 Mexico 1.05 compare
  2. 63 Malaysia 1.04 compare
  3. 64 Malawi 1.03 compare
  4. 66 Argentina 1.01 compare
  5. 67 Guatemala 1.01 compare
  6. 68 Uganda 0.975 compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More social development data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is media corruption score in Lesotho?
Media corruption score in Lesotho was 1.02 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest media corruption score recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 1.74 in 2022.
What is the lowest media corruption score recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 0.013 in 1900.
How does Lesotho rank for media corruption score?
Lesotho ranks 65th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
Is media corruption score rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Media Corruption Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Media Corruption Score
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
175 places, 18,887 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed

Gauges the frequency with which journalists, publishers, or broadcasters accept payments to modify news content, indicating the integrity (or corruption) of the media sphere.