Country Profile

Lesotho

Lesotho,( lih-SOO-too, Sotho pronunciation: [lɪˈsʊːtʰʊ] officially the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa.

ISO LSO · LS · Region Africa · Figures for 2024

Key Statistics

World Bank · 2024

2.3M

Growth 1.1%

2.3B

Growth 2.9%

$972

3,580.0

57.4 yrs

55.4

per 1,000 births

16.3%

2.8

tons per capita

Net Migration

-5.1K

2.7

births per woman

43.7%

3.9%

Population 0–14

34.5%

Geography & Terrain

30,360 km²

77.0 /km²

Satellite · Mapbox

Physical terrain of Lesotho.

Political · Mapbox

Political boundaries, neighbours and principal cities.

View the Lesotho population-density map →

Health System

Health Outcomes

57.4 yrs

55.4

per 1,000 live births

Maternal Mortality

478.0

184th lowest

per 100,000 live births

Spending & Access

$123

12.6%

13.2%

of health spending

System Capacity

0.2

per 1,000 people

1.8

per 1,000 people

1.3

per 1,000 people

Preventive Care

86.0%

children 12–23 mo.

90.0%

children 12–23 mo.

Age Structure

Distribution by age and sex, 2024.Source: PopulationPyramid.net

Economy

2.3B

$972

16.3%

GDP composition by sector.Source: World Bank

Trade balance, % of GDP.Source: World Bank

Composition of goods exports, 2022.Source: OEC

Composition of goods imports, 2022.Source: OEC

Education

90.4%

9.9%

6.6%

% of GDP

Society & Equality

44.9

41.9%

at $2.15/day

38.2

per 100,000 people

25.0%

Female Labor Participation

48.5%

123rd in the world

Military Spending

1.6%

89th in the world

% of GDP

Technology & Infrastructure

48.0%

69.4

per 100 people

Access to Electricity

57.3%

78.1%

47.9%

34.9%

% of consumption

1.1%

% of land area

Historical Trends

Population, 1960–2024.

Gross domestic product, US$.

Life expectancy at birth.

About Lesotho

Lesotho,( lih-SOO-too, Sotho pronunciation: [lɪˈsʊːtʰʊ] officially the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclaves in the world, the others being San Marino and Vatican City, which are surrounded by Italy. Lesotho is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest peak in Southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km2 and has a population of about 2.3 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru.

Source: Wikipedia

Detailed Map

Cities, roads and terrain of Lesotho.Source: Geoapify · OSM

Population Density

Modelled population density, by 1 km cell.Source: WorldPop

View the detailed population density page for Lesotho →