Population
2.4Mpeople
#144 of 2162025
6% of world average
SERIAL · 426Africa
Lesotho
CapitalMaseru
CurrencyZAR · rand
LanguageEnglish, Sesotho
Since1966
ISOLSO · LS
Population
2.4Mas of 2025
Watermark portrait: Letsie III of Lesotho
— THE COUNTRY —
Country in Southern Africa
Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of the only three sovereign enclaves. Lesotho is located in the Maloti Mountains, with the highest peak in southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km2 (11,600 mi2), with a population of about 2.3 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru.
Text: Wikipedia — LesothoCC BY-SA 4.0 · revised 2026-07-26
— FACTS —
- Capital
- Maseru
- Currency
- rand (ZAR)
- Official language
- English, Sesotho
- Drives on the
- Left
- Calling code
- +266
- Licence plate code
- LS
- Top-level domain
- .ls
- Independence / founding
- 1966
- Highest point
- Thabana Ntlenyana (3,482 m)
- Lowest point
- Orange River (1,400 m)
- Anthem
- Lesotho Fatse La Bontata Rona
— LAND —
5 of 5 figures unavailable for Lesotho.
— PEOPLE —
Population growth
1.1%% per year
#96 of 2162025
112% of world average
Population density
76people per km²
#128 of 2152023
17% of world average
People living in cities
44.7%% of population
#162 of 2162025
71% of world average
Urban population growth
3.3%% per year
#34 of 2162025
219% of world average
People living rurally
55.3%% of population
#55 of 2162025
151% of world average
Population aged 0-14
34.1%% of population
#54 of 2162025
136% of world average
Population aged 15-64
62.0%% of population
#151 of 2162025
97% of world average
Population aged 65+
3.9%% of population
#168 of 2162025
36% of world average
▸ ISSUE 7 MORE
Age dependency ratio
61.2%% of working-age population
#66 of 2162025
107% of world average
Female population
51.2%% of population
#50 of 2162025
102% of world average
Births per woman
3births per woman
#68 of 2162024
113% of world average
Birth rate
23.8 /1,000per 1,000 people
#56 of 2162024
138% of world average
Death rate
10.5 /1,000per 1,000 people
#29 of 2162024
136% of world average
Net migration
-5,192people (5-year total)
#136 of 2162025
-4715% of world average
Migrants living in the country
0.6%% of population
#188 of 2152024
5% of world average
— MONEY —
GDP
$2.57Bcurrent US$
#185 of 2112025
0% of world average
GDP, purchasing power parity
$7.53Bcurrent int'l $
#164 of 1992025
1% of world average
GDP per person
$1,089current US$
#195 of 2112025
5% of world average
GDP per person, purchasing power parity
$3,184current int'l $
#184 of 1992025
10% of world average
GDP growth
2.0%% per year
#145 of 2102025
59% of world average
GDP per person growth
0.9%% per year
#153 of 2102025
36% of world average
Gross national income
$3.15Bcurrent US$
#178 of 2042025
1% of world average
Gross national income per person
$1,280current US$
#179 of 2032025
6% of world average
Gross national income per person, PPP
$3,900current int'l $
#176 of 1972025
12% of world average
▸ ISSUE 29 MORE
Inflation
4.3%% per year
#136 of 1902025
50% of world average
Inflation (GDP deflator)
3.0%% per year
#93 of 2092025
42% of world average
Real interest rate
4.9%%
#64 of 1342024
119% of world average
Lending interest rate
11.2%%
#48 of 1342024
99% of world average
Government debt
3.0%% of GDP
#1 of 632020
5% of world average
Government revenue
42.0%% of GDP
#10 of 1492024
160% of world average
Government spending
40.2%% of GDP
#17 of 1492022
146% of world average
Government consumption
36.4%% of GDP
#7 of 1812025
208% of world average
Household consumption
96.8%% of GDP
#9 of 1812025
150% of world average
Investment (gross capital formation)
31.2%% of GDP
#26 of 1782025
134% of world average
Fixed investment
30.9%% of GDP
#18 of 1732025
139% of world average
Gross savings
13.6%% of GDP
#133 of 1682025
62% of world average
Foreign investment inflows
-$5.8Mcurrent US$
#177 of 2012025
0% of world average
Foreign investment inflows
-0.2%% of GDP
#177 of 1982025
no comparison
Foreign investment outflows
0.0%% of GDP
not enough data to rank1989
0% of world average
Current account balance
-0.2%% of GDP
#78 of 1912025
no comparison
Foreign reserves
$1.01Bcurrent US$
#143 of 1772024
1% of world average
External debt
$1.77Bcurrent US$
#20 of 1212024
2% of world average
Income inequality (Gini)
450-100
#134 of 1472017
126% of world average
People below the poverty line
41.9%% of population
#132 of 1472017
328% of world average
Income share held by richest 10%
32.9%%
#124 of 1472017
118% of world average
Income share held by poorest 10%
1.7%%
#134 of 1472017
61% of world average
Money sent home by workers abroad
$533.1Mcurrent US$
#117 of 1862025
10% of world average
Foreign aid received
6.6%% of GNI
#34 of 1372023
110% of world average
Exchange rate
18local currency per US$
#97 of 2112025
1% of world average
Agriculture's share of the economy
6.5%% of GDP
#97 of 1992025
65% of world average
Industry's share of the economy
25.2%% of GDP
#86 of 2022025
103% of world average
Manufacturing's share of the economy
12.1%% of GDP
#79 of 1952024
110% of world average
Services' share of the economy
55.6%% of GDP
#116 of 2022025
96% of world average
1 of 39 figures unavailable for Lesotho.
— TRADE —
Exports
49.5%% of GDP
#55 of 1872025
114% of world average
Imports
104.5%% of GDP
#6 of 1872025
210% of world average
Trade balance
-54.9%% of GDP
#183 of 1872025
no comparison
Total trade (openness)
102.9%% of GDP
#24 of 2052025
159% of world average
Goods exported
$773.0Mcurrent US$
#160 of 2072025
1% of world average
Goods imported
$1.88Bcurrent US$
#168 of 2072025
1% of world average
Services exported
$16.0Mcurrent US$
#189 of 1912025
0% of world average
Services imported
$467.2Mcurrent US$
#165 of 1912025
1% of world average
Goods and services exported
$948.6Mcurrent US$
#168 of 1912025
1% of world average
▸ ISSUE 3 MORE
Goods and services imported
$2.16Bcurrent US$
#163 of 1912025
1% of world average
High-tech share of exports
0.1%% of manufactured exports
#172 of 1792024
1% of world average
Terms of trade
82index
#192 of 2062024
78% of world average
— HEALTH —
Life expectancy
57.8 yrsyears
#212 of 2162024
78% of world average
Life expectancy, women
60.4 yrsyears
#213 of 2162024
79% of world average
Life expectancy, men
55.0 yrsyears
#213 of 2162024
77% of world average
Infant deaths
56.3 /1,000per 1,000 live births
#187 of 1962024
304% of world average
Deaths under age 5
60.0 /1,000per 1,000 live births
#176 of 1962024
248% of world average
Maternal deaths
478per 100,000 live births
#184 of 1942023
412% of world average
Health spending
12.6%% of GDP
#8 of 1932023
185% of world average
Health spending per person
$123current US$
#140 of 1932023
8% of world average
Physicians
0.2 /1,000per 1,000 people
#154 of 1872022
11% of world average
▸ ISSUE 9 MORE
Nurses and midwives
1.8 /1,000per 1,000 people
#144 of 1962022
37% of world average
Hospital beds
1.3 /1,000per 1,000 people
not enough data to rank2006
44% of world average
Access to clean drinking water
78.1%% of population
#178 of 2142024
86% of world average
Access to basic sanitation
47.9%% of population
#179 of 2132024
59% of world average
Suicide rate
29per 100,000 people
#185 of 1852021
335% of world average
Adults who smoke
28.0%% of adults
#129 of 1662024
142% of world average
HIV prevalence
17.1%% aged 15-49
#151 of 1532024
1245% of world average
Tuberculosis cases
548per 100,000 people
#205 of 2082024
552% of world average
Children vaccinated against measles
90.0%% of children 12-23 months
#98 of 1932024
105% of world average
1 of 19 figures unavailable for Lesotho.
— LEARNING —
Education spending
6.6%% of GDP
#17 of 1902024
153% of world average
Education spending
10.4%% of government spending
#142 of 1892024
77% of world average
Adult literacy
90.4%% aged 15+
#64 of 1192024
108% of world average
Youth literacy
96.5%% aged 15-24
#67 of 1262024
106% of world average
Primary school enrolment
80.2%% gross
#190 of 2002024
80% of world average
Secondary school enrolment
59.4%% gross
#156 of 1882017
68% of world average
University enrolment
9.9%% gross
#152 of 1672018
20% of world average
Primary school completion
67.0%% of relevant age group
#160 of 1802023
75% of world average
Pupils per teacher, primary school
33pupils per teacher
#132 of 1602017
148% of world average
▸ ISSUE 1 MORE
Years of compulsory education
7.0 yrsyears
#169 of 1972025
70% of world average
— WORK —
Unemployment
16.3%% of labour force
#173 of 1862025
236% of world average
Youth unemployment
24.7%% of labour force aged 15-24
#155 of 1862025
157% of world average
Labour force participation
57.1%% aged 15+
#128 of 1862025
94% of world average
Women in the labour force
48.1%% of women aged 15+
#123 of 1862025
94% of world average
8 of 12 figures unavailable for Lesotho.
— CONNECTED —
18 of 18 figures unavailable for Lesotho.
— NATURE —
12 of 12 figures unavailable for Lesotho.
— STATE —
7 of 7 figures unavailable for Lesotho.
— TRADE PARTNERS —
Loading trade partner map…
— TRADE —
No trade data available for Lesotho.
— EXTRAS —
Anthem
Lesotho Fatse La Bontata RonaAudio: Wikimedia Commons
Capital time
--:--:--Maseru · approx. UTC+2
Neighbours
Landmarks
Maloti-Drakensberg ParkImage: Wikimedia Commons
People
Letsie III of LesothoKing of Lesotho since 1996
Pakalitha MosisiliPrime Minister of Lesotho
Moshoeshoe II of LesothoKing of Lesotho (1938-1996)
Tom ThabanePrime Minister of Lesotho
Moeketsi MajoroMosotho politician
Moshoeshoe IKing of Lesotho from 1822 to 1870
Sam MatekaneLesotho businessman and politician
Leabua JonathanPrime Minister of Lesotho (1914-1987)
'Masenate Mohato SeeisoLesotho queen
Ntsu Mokhehleformer Prime Minister of Lesotho (1918–1999)
Prince Lerotholi SeeisoLesotho Prince
Sebastian Koto KhoaraiMosotho Catholic cardinal (1929–2021)
History
1966Lesotho — founding / independence (Wikidata)
Size, side by side
Loading size comparison…
1960 → now
2026
Population2.4M2025
GDP$2.57B2025
GDP per person$1,0892025