Country profile
Lesotho
Lesotho ranks #146 of 215 for population, #195 of 209 for gdp per capita, #212 of 216 for life expectancy, across 25 open-data indicators.
People
Population
2,337,423
people · 2024
Rank #146 of 215
Life expectancy
57.8
years · 2024
Rank #212 of 216
Poverty headcount
41.9%
% of population · 2017
Rank #20 of 186
Under-5 mortality
60
per 1,000 live births · 2024
Rank #31 of 244
Secondary school enrollment
41.4%
% net enrollment · 2016
Rank #188 of 232
Tobacco use
24.3%
% of adults · 2022
Rank #53 of 163
Calorie supply
1,873
kcal per person per day · 2023
Rank #186 of 189
Prosperity
Tourism arrivals
1,142,000
arrivals · 2019
Rank #91 of 203
GDP per capita
$972
current US$ · 2024
Rank #195 of 209
Inflation, consumer prices
6.11
annual % growth · 2024
Rank #43 of 195
Planet
Consumer Price Indices
176
index (2015=100) · 2025
Rank #51 of 210
Forest area
1.14%
% of land area · 2023
Rank #242 of 262
PM2.5 air pollution
23.4
micrograms per cubic meter · 2020
Rank #116 of 248
Protected areas
23.4%
% of territorial area · 2025
Rank #50 of 261
CO2 emissions per capita
1.1
tonnes per person · 2024
Rank #154 of 210
Fertilizer use
8.6
kg per hectare · 2023
Rank #153 of 194
Pesticide use
1.53
kg per hectare · 2023
Rank #99 of 193
Cereal yield
0.6
tonnes per hectare · 2024
Rank #177 of 182
Digital
Internet users
51.8%
% of population · 2024
Rank #160 of 213
Fixed broadband subscriptions
0.38
per 100 people · 2024
Rank #230 of 256
Mobile cellular subscriptions
70.3
per 100 people · 2024
Rank #227 of 262
Energy
Access to electricity
57.3%
% of population · 2023
Rank #187 of 215
Renewable electricity output
99.8%
% of electricity output · 2021
Rank #4 of 257
Energy use per person
2,379
kWh per person · 2023
Rank #171 of 210
Society
Electoral democracy index
0.66
index (0-1) · 2025
Rank #58 of 174
Countries ranked nearby
Sources and methodology
Each value is the latest available observation for Lesotho; years differ by indicator. Ranks compare countries and territories with data, so totals vary. Read about our methods.
- World Bank Open Data: Tourism arrivals
- World Bank Open Data: Population
- World Bank Open Data: GDP per capita
- World Bank Open Data: Access to electricity
- World Bank Open Data: Internet users
- World Bank Open Data: Life expectancy
- World Bank Data360 / FAOSTAT: Consumer Price Indices
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Forest area
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: PM2.5 air pollution
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Renewable electricity output
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Protected areas
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Fixed broadband subscriptions
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Mobile cellular subscriptions
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Inflation, consumer prices
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Poverty headcount
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Under-5 mortality
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Secondary school enrollment
- Our World in Data: CO2 emissions per capita
- Our World in Data: Energy use per person
- Our World in Data: Electoral democracy index
- Our World in Data: Tobacco use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Fertilizer use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Pesticide use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Calorie supply
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Cereal yield