National Identity
- Official name
- Kingdom of Lesotho
- Official name (in Southern Sotho)
- Muso oa Lesotho
- Name etymology
the name comes from the Sotho people, whose name means "dark-skinned;" Le- is a singular noun prefix; the former name, Basutoland, uses the plural noun prefix, Ba-
Sources:- The Constitution of Lesotho ↗ - Government Of Lesotho
- The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
As published by Laws.Africa and AfricanLII Three horizontal stripes from top to bottom of blue, white and green bearing the proportions 3:4:3 of the width measurement, with a black Basotho Hat centred in the white panel of a height equivalent to 92% of the width of the white stripe.
Proportions: width: length 2 : 3
As published in EnglishAs published by Laws.Africa and AfricanLII the hoisting of the new National Flag of Lesotho shall be at Setsoto Stadium on the third day of October, 2006 at 12 o' clock Midnight.
As published in EnglishSources:- archive.gazettes.africa ↗ - Laws.Africa and AfricanLII
- archive.gazettes.africa ↗ - Laws.Africa and AfricanLII
- National anthem
- Lesotho fatse la bo ntat’a rona0:43
- Title (in Southern Sotho)
- Lesotho fatse la bo ntat’a rona
- Title (in English, translated)
- Lesotho, Land of our Fathers
- Lyrics
1Lesotho fatse la bo ntat’a rona, Har’a mafatse le letle ke lona. Ke moo re hlahileng, Ke moo re holileng, Rea la rata.
2Molimo ak’u boloke Lesotho, U felise lintoa le matsoenyeho. Oho fatse lena, La bo ntat’a rona, Le be le khotso.
Source: - Citizens
- Basotho
- Official name:The Constitution of Lesotho ↗ - Government Of Lesotho
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- National flag:archive.gazettes.africa ↗ - Laws.Africa and AfricanLII
- National flag:archive.gazettes.africa ↗ - Laws.Africa and AfricanLII
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
- Total area
- 30,355 km²
- Land area
- 30,355 km²
- Water area
- 0.00 km²
- Land borders
- 1,106 km(1 country)
- South Africa
- 1,106 km
Source:- The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Coastline
- 0 km(Landlocked)
- Terrain
Mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains - Mean elevation
- 2,161 m
- Highest point
- 3,482 mThabana Ntlenyana
- Lowest point
- 1,400 mjunction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers
- Climate
Temperate cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers - Avg. temperature
- 11.3 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 5.1 to 18.6 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 1,054 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 23 16.8 11.2 182 February 22.5 16.3 11 148 March 21.1 14.5 9.1 122 April 18.1 11 5.3 69 May 15.6 7.5 1.2 30 June 12.9 4.3 −2.2 19 July 12.6 4 −2.6 16 August 14.9 6.7 −0.3 32 September 18.8 11.1 3.8 36 October 20.2 13.3 6.6 103 November 21.2 14.7 8.1 132 December 22.5 16.2 10.2 165 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable11.8%Perm. crops0.1%Pasture65.9%Forest1.1%Other21.1%
- Arable land
- 356,748 hectares (11.8%)
- Permanent crops
- 4,000 hectares (0.1%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 2,000,000 hectares (65.9%)
- Forest
- 34,520 hectares (1.1%)
- Other land
- 640,732 hectares (21.1%)
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- Drought6.3High#21/191Epidemics3.2Low#150/191River floods2.1Very low#141/191Earthquakes0.1Very low#127/191Tsunamis0.0Very lowTropical cyclones0.0Very lowCoastal floods0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate, Major rivers:The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +1.10% per year+26,011 people/yearWorld Rank93rdof 237
- Birth rate
- 23.1 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 10.2 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −2.0 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 22.1 yearsWorld Rank184thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years33.6%15-64 years62.5%65 years +3.9%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 3.9%
- Share aged under 18
- 40.0%
- Total dependency ratio
- 60
- Youth dependency ratio
- 54
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 6
- Sex ratio
- 0.95 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.2% 0.5% 70-79 0.6% 1.1% 60-69 1.4% 2.1% 50-59 2.4% 2.7% 40-49 5.2% 5.6% 30-39 8.0% 8.3% 20-29 8.9% 9.0% 10-19 11.0% 10.9% 0-9 11.2% 11.0% - 2026
- 0.31 above the replacement level for Lesotho ()2.61 births per womanreplacement 2.30123World Rank70thof 237
- 1.15 daughters per woman0.15 above replacement, long-run each generation larger than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +13.0 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 13.0 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- −2.0 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 45.7% live in cities1,090,789 urban residents
- Largest urban centers2016latest available
- Maseru, Maputsoe, Mohale's Hoek, MafetengRankUrban Center or Peri-Urban CenterPopulation (2016 census)1Maseru343,5412Maputsoe59,1263Mohale's Hoek44,4944Mafeteng43,2475Hlotse41,9866Butha-Buthe38,7707Quthing32,3828Teyateyaneng26,0439Qacha's Nek18,28210Thaba-Tseka16,010Source:
- Lesotho Bureau of Statistics (2016 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- Relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people.
- Ethnic groups
- Sotho99.7%Other0.3%
Other includes Kwena, Nguni (Hlubi and Phuthi), Zulu.
Source:- The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Religions2014
- Protestant47.8%Roman Catholic39.3%Other Christian9.1%Non-Christian1.4%None2.3%
- Protestant
- 47.8%
- Pentecostal
- 23.1%
- Lesotho Evangelical
- 17.3%
- Anglican
- 7.4%
Source:- The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Languages
- Southern Sotho (Sesotho), English
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Lesotho Bureau of Statistics (2016 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Constitutional monarchyThe King, "a constitutional monarch and Head of State", succeeds by designation of the College of Chiefs under customary law; the Constitution calls Lesotho "a sovereign democratic kingdom" (ss. 1, 44, 45).Source:
- The Constitution of Lesotho ↗, ss. 1, 44, 45
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe King appoints as Prime Minister, on the Council of State's advice, the National Assembly member leading the majority party or coalition; the Cabinet is collectively responsible to both Houses, and a no-confidence resolution must name a replacement (ss. 87, 88).Source:
- The Constitution of Lesotho ↗, ss. 87, 88
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Capital
- Maseru343,541 people(2016)
- National holidays
- 11 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- WedMar 11Moshoeshoe's Day
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- FriMay 1Workers' Day
- ThuMay 14Ascension Day
- MonMay 25Africa/Heroes Day
- FriJul 17King's Birthday
- SunOct 4Independence Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Boxing Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- SASTSouth Africa Standard TimeUTC+2
- Currencies
- Lesotho Loti (LSL)South African Rand (ZAR)
- Calling code
- +266
- Internet TLD
- .ls
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- LS, LSO
- Infrastructure
- Aircraft registration prefix
- 7P
Source:- The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- 2025
- 37 / 100World Rank99thof 182
Significant declinerDown 12 points since 2014, when it scored 49.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 45 38 53 2013 49 43 55 2014 49 43 55 2015 44 36 52 2016 39 29 49 2017 42 35 49 2018 41 35 47 2019 40 33.5 46.5 2020 41 35.7 46.3 2021 38 31.4 44.6 2022 37 30.6 43.4 2023 39 31.4 46.6 2024 37 30.2 43.8 2025 37 29.9 44.1 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:The Constitution of Lesotho ↗ - Government of Lesotho
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Lower middle income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +1.1% per yearWorld Rank162ndof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $1,298 (177th in the world)
Source:- 2024
- Services51.4% of GDPIndustry28.1% of GDPAgriculture6.6% of GDPManufacturing12.1%part of industry
- Households
- +96.8%
- Government
- +36.4%
- Investment
- +31.2%
- Exports
- +49.5%
- Imports
- −104.5%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useThe five add up to 109.5% of GDP, not 100. The gap is in the source data.
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 4.6%up 0.7 percentage points0.7pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 878,871 (38% of population)World Rank147thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 57.4% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 16.3%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 24.7% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $3.3 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 1.4% of GDP surplus
- Current account
- 2.5% of GDP, $79 million deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Central government debt59.8% of GDPHousehold debt17.2% of GDPCompany debt6.3% of GDPInterest on debt1.9% of GDP
- Trade2025
- Goods$932.6 million98.3%
- Services$16 million1.7%
- Total exports
- $948.6 million
- Change from 2024
- down 3.2 percent on the previous year3.2%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Agricultural products2024
- Shorn wool (greasy or fleece-washed), Game meat (fresh or chilled or frozen), Potatoes, and 3 more
- 1Shorn wool (greasy or fleece-washed)121.5×
- 2Game meat (fresh or chilled or frozen)70.5×
- 3Potatoes8.6×
- 4Raw milk of cattle5.8×
- 5Sorghum2.5×
- 6Maize (corn)1.2×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Average gross salary2024
- LSL 2,494 per month$136 (USD), $406 (PPP)
- Median
- LSL 1,400 per month($76)
- Men
- LSL 2,634 per month($144)
- Women
- LSL 2,332 per month($127)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2024
- LSL 1,881 per month, gross$103 (USD), $306 (PPP)
- Share of the average gross salary
- 75%
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.550MediumWorld Rank167thof 193LesothoWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Lesotho World 1990 0.483 0.608 1991 0.482 0.611 1992 0.481 0.614 1993 0.477 0.617 1994 0.478 0.620 1995 0.476 0.625 1996 0.473 0.631 1997 0.469 0.636 1998 0.469 0.641 1999 0.462 0.646 2000 0.462 0.651 2001 0.457 0.657 2002 0.455 0.662 2003 0.456 0.669 2004 0.454 0.675 2005 0.454 0.681 2006 0.451 0.688 2007 0.458 0.694 2008 0.463 0.698 2009 0.468 0.701 2010 0.478 0.707 2011 0.485 0.713 2012 0.496 0.717 2013 0.502 0.721 2014 0.509 0.726 2015 0.517 0.731 2016 0.526 0.735 2017 0.531 0.739 2018 0.538 0.741 2019 0.541 0.745 2020 0.537 0.742 2021 0.532 0.742 2022 0.547 0.752 2023 0.550 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2017
- 44.9
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 7.7 years
- Expected for a child today
- 11 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2024
- 90.4% of adults
- Education expenditure2024
- 6.6% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 10.4%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 51.8% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 51%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 1.6 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 7,980
- Fixed broadband
- 0.4 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2024
- 4% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 18%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 62%
- Mobile-money account
- 53%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 58%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 479 people
- Asylum seekers
- 201
- Refugees from Lesotho abroad
- 17
Source:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists2013latest available
- 320,000 arrivals
- Per resident
- 1.6 arrivals per 10 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 113,000 arrivals
- $9.1 million(2024)
- $309.3 million(2024)
- Hotel beds
- 3,631(2021, latest available)
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2013A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 1 site1 mixed
Site Maloti-Drakensberg Park Source:- The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- Medium4.7 out of 10Drought and drier conditionsSeverity by monthSep 2024 to Aug 2026What the score is made ofImpact of the crisis5.4Conditions of people affected5.3Complexity of the crisis3.2
Data reliability as rated by INFORM: High. Last updated Aug 24, 2026.
Source:- INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate2024
- High by global standards22.2 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank10thof 115
- Crime rates
- 1 offence category
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 22.2 519 2024 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2019
- 100.3 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 2,216
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 58.6 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 12.6% of GDP$123 per person
- Physicians2022
- 0.24 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2006latest available
- 1.3 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 51.3 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 478 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 3.8 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2024
- 28% of adults
- Men
- 49.4%
- Women
- 6.6%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 31.9 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 1 Mt per yearup 0.9 percent on the previous year0.9% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 0.4 t per personWorld Rank178thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 1.6 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0.46 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 3.05 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 22.6 µg/m³ of PM2.51.7 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted47thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- overgrazing
- severe soil erosion
- soil exhaustion
- desertification
- Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa
Source:- The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- International agreements
- 17 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 53 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2017 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1995 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1994 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1994 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1995 CITES in force 2003 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) not a party Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2003 Nagoya Protocol in force 2015 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 2004 World Heritage Convention in force 2004 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1996 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 2000 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2008 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2004 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2017 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 2007 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) signed 2025, not ratified MARPOL 73/78 not a party Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 18.2% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 3 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 1,322 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 0% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 0 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 9%
- Water stress
- 3% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 46% of the population1 million people
- Obesity2024
- 22.2% of adults
- Men
- 6.3%
- Women
- 36%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2024
- 12.5% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 6.05 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- < 0.01%
- Supply
- No meaningful productionproduces under 2% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Imports only, 0.6 TWh imported, nothing exported in 20240 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 0 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 0.5 TWh per year
- Imports
- 0.6 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- No domestic productionconsumes 5,715 b/d in 2024Consumption20245,715 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 1.6% of GDP$36.3 million, 2.5% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 2,000active Defense Forces
- Military service2026
- Voluntarymen and women 20–30
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service:The World Factbook: Lesotho - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
