At a glance
Twelve headline indicators, latest available year.
What changed in Lesotho
Statistically notable movements in the latest data.
- Record high2023MajorMedian age reached a record high of 21.4 years in 2023 (series since 1950).
- Record high2025NotablePopulation reached a record high of 2.4M people in 2025 (series since 1960).
Countries similar to Lesotho
Nearest peers by standardised distance on the selected dimension.
Country DNA
Percentile rank among all countries on nine dimensions. Descriptive, not a score.
2025
Key facts
Computed from the data — no model-generated numbers.
CO₂ emissions of 1.10 t per person are 0.36× the world median of 3.10 t (2024).
Lesotho's population grew 17.9 % between 2000 and 2025, from 2.0M people to 2.4M people.
Within Sub-Saharan Africa, Lesotho ranks 34th of 47 for GDP per capita (PPP) (intl $ 3,184, 2025).
The fertility rate fell from 3.60 births/woman in 2000 to 2.66 births/woman in 2024.
51.8 % of people used the internet in 2024, up from 3.9 % in 2010.
Life expectancy of 57.8 years ranks 44th of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa (2024).
Central government debt fell from 29.6 % of GDP in 2010 to 3.0 % in 2020.
GDP per capita rose from US$ 443 in 2000 to US$ 1,089 in 2025 (+145.9 % in current US dollars).
GDP grew 0.7 % a year on average over 2014–2025.
Unemployment of 16.3 % in 2025 is above the Sub-Saharan Africa median of 5.1 %.
With a median age of 21.4 years, Lesotho ranks 164th of 216 countries worldwide (2023).
Trade is worth 154.0 % of GDP (2025), above the world median of 79.5 %.
Life expectancy gained 9.0 years since 2000, from 48.8 years to 57.8 years in 2024.
44.7 % of the population lived in urban areas in 2025, compared with 19.3 % in 2000.
Borders: South Africa
Languages: English, Sotho
Timeline
Records, reversals and turning points across the whole history.
- 2025
- Sharp dropTrade balance fell US$ 130.2M to US$ -1.4B in 2025.
- Sharp riseLife satisfaction rose 16.4 % to 4.38 /10 in 2025.
- Record highExports set a new high of US$ 1.3B in 2025, the first since 2018.
- Sharp riseServices share rose 4.3 points to 55.6 % in 2025.
- ReversalCurrent account balance (US$) turned negative in 2025 (US$ -3.9M).
- ReversalCurrent account turned negative in 2025 (-0.2 %).
- Record highImports set a new high of US$ 2.7B in 2025, the first since 2012.
- 2024
- Sharp riseTerrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) rose 2.1 points to 23.4 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseImmunization, measles (% of children ages 12–23 months) rose 14.0 points to 90.0 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropWomen in parliament fell 1.4 points to 25.0 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseRefugee population by country of origin rose 108.3 % to 25 people in 2024.
- Sharp riseOres and metals exports (% of merchandise exports) rose 1.3 points to 1.5 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseLife satisfaction rose 17.9 % to 3.76 /10 in 2024.
- Sharp riseFood exports (% of merchandise exports) rose 9.3 points to 23.3 % in 2024.
- Record highGDP per capita (PPP) set a new high of intl $ 3,071 in 2024, the first since 2015.
- Sharp riseCurrent account balance (US$) rose US$ 240.9M to US$ 89.3M in 2024.
- Sharp dropTrade balance fell US$ 104.2M to US$ -1.3B in 2024.
- Sharp riseExports of goods and services (% of GDP) rose 6.7 points to 49.4 % in 2024.
- ReversalCurrent account balance (US$) turned positive in 2024 (US$ 89.3M).
- ReversalCurrent account turned positive in 2024 (3.7 %).
- Sharp riseSafe sanitation rose 1.0 points to 43.8 % in 2024.
- Record highLabour force, total set a new high of 878,864 people in 2024, the first since 2000.
- 2023
- Sharp dropAir pollution (PM2.5) fell 14.0 % to 26.4 µg/m³ in 2023.
- Sharp riseArable land (% of land area) rose 2.8 points to 11.8 % in 2023.
- Sharp dropImmunization, measles (% of children ages 12–23 months) fell 8.0 points to 76.0 % in 2023.
- Sharp riseTerrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) rose 20.8 points to 21.3 % in 2023.
- Sharp riseAgricultural land (% of land area) rose 2.8 points to 77.8 % in 2023.
- Sharp riseArable land (hectares per person) rose 30.0 % to 0.15 ha in 2023.
- Sharp riseNet electricity imports (% of demand) rose 52.7 points to 100.0 % in 2023.
- Sharp riseFiscal balance rose 13.7 points to 7.4 % in 2023.
Explore Lesotho by topic
19 topics · 253 indicators with data.
- Economy24 with data · 27 indicators
- Government & public finance14 with data · 18 indicators
- Population & demographics23 with data · 23 indicators
- Employment & wages12 with data · 19 indicators
- Income & inequality8 with data · 10 indicators
- Housing0 with data · 12 indicators
- Health23 with data · 23 indicators
- Education15 with data · 16 indicators
- Trade21 with data · 21 indicators
- Energy25 with data · 26 indicators
- Climate14 with data · 16 indicators
- Environment10 with data · 10 indicators
- Infrastructure & transportation5 with data · 10 indicators
- Digital economy & Internet6 with data · 6 indicators
- Innovation, research & technology9 with data · 9 indicators
- Agriculture & natural resources19 with data · 20 indicators
- Tourism4 with data · 5 indicators
- Security & governance8 with data · 15 indicators
- Quality of life13 with data · 14 indicators