Lesotho

Economy

• GDP

  : 2.6 B$ (2025)

• GDP per capita

  : 1089 $ (2025)

• GDP growth

  : 2.0 % (2025)

• GDP, PPP

  : 7.5 B$ (2025)

• GDP per capita, PPP

  : 3184 $ (2025)

• Price level (relative cost of living)

  : 0.32 (2024)

• Inflation

  : 4.3 % (2025)

• Unemployment

  : 16.3 % (2025)

• Youth unemployment (ages 15-24)

  : 24.7 % (2025)

• Exports

  : 49.5 % (2025)

• Imports

  : 104.5 % (2025)

• Trade balance (goods and services)

  : -1.4 B$ (2025)

• Current account balance

  : -0.2 % (2025)

• Total reserves

  : 1.0 B$ (2024)

• Foreign direct investment

  : -0.2 % (2025)

• Poverty rate

  : 41.9 % (2017)

• Agriculture

  : 6.5 % (2025)

• Industry

  : 25.2 % (2025)

• Services

  : 55.6 % (2025)

• Remittances received

  : 20.7 % (2025)

• Outward foreign direct investment

  : 0.0 % (1989)

Demographics

• Population

  : 2.4 M (2025)

• Population growth

  : 1.1 % (2025)

• Net migration

  : -5 192 (2025)

• Population density

  : 76.1 (2023)

• Life expectancy

  : 57.8 yrs (2024)

• Fertility rate

  : 2.66 (2024)

• Birth rate

  : 23.8 (2024)

• Death rate

  : 10.5 (2024)

• Urban population

  : 44.7 % (2025)

• Rural population

  : 55.3 % (2025)

• Labor force

  : 889 530 (2025)

• Infant mortality (under one year)

  : 5.7 % (2023)

• Age dependency ratio

  : 63.3 % (2023)

• Share of women in the population

  : 51.2 % (2025)

• Refugee population hosted

  : 419.0 (2024)

Social

• Education expenditure

  : 6.6 % (2024)

• Health expenditure

  : 12.6 % (2023)

• Gini index

  : 44.9 (2017)

• Internet users

  : 51.8 % (2024)

• Mobile subscriptions

  : 70.3 (2024)

• Access to electricity

  : 60.6 % (2024)

• Access to basic drinking water

  : 78.1 % (2024)

• Median income

  : 4 $ (2017)

• Income share of the top 10%

  : 32.9 % (2017)

• Primary school completion

  : 79.8 % (2025)

• Mean years of schooling

  : 7.7 yrs (2023)

• Harmonised learning outcomes

  : 392.9 (2020)

• Bank account ownership

  : 28.0 % (2024)

• Labour force participation (ages 25-64)

  : 73.7 % (2025)

• Gender pay gap

  : 3.8 % (2024)

Defense

• Armed forces personnel

  : 2 000 (2020)

• Military expenditure

  : 1.6 % (2024)

• Battle-related deaths

  : 78.0 (1998)

• Death rate from armed conflicts

  : 0.0 (2025)

Environment

• CO₂ per capita

  : 0.43 (2024)

• Renewable energy

  : 34.9 % (2022)

• Renewable electricity production

  : 99.8 % (2021)

• Energy consumption

  : 9.73 (2007)

• Forest area

  : 1.1 % (2023)

• Threatened bird species

  : 9.00 (2022)

• Threatened fish species

  : 1.00 (2022)

• Threatened mammal species

  : 4.00 (2022)

• Electricity from coal

  : 0.0 % (2022)

• Electricity from gas

  : 0.0 % (2022)

• Electricity from hydropower

  : 100.0 % (2022)

• Electricity from nuclear

  : 0.0 % (2022)

• Electricity from solar

  : 0.0 % (2022)

• Electricity from wind

  : 0.0 % (2022)

• Greenhouse gases per capita

  : 1.47 (2024)

• Greenhouse gases (total)

  : 3.4 M (2024)

• Fine particulate exposure (PM2.5)

  : 24.5 (2024)

• Tree cover loss

  : 5.59 (2025)

• Forest area (absolute)

  : 34.5 (2020)

Health

• DTP3 immunization coverage

  : 86.0 % (2024)

• Measles immunization coverage

  : 90.0 % (2024)

• Under-five mortality

  : 60.0 (2024)

• Maternal mortality ratio

  : 478.0 (2023)

• Non-communicable disease mortality (ages 30-70)

  : 36.3 % (2021)

• Hypertension prevalence (ages 30-79)

  : 46.8 % (2019)

• Adult obesity prevalence

  : 32.7 % (2022)

• Diabetes prevalence (ages 20-79)

  : 6.2 % (2024)

• Smoking prevalence, adults (age-standardized)

  : 28.0 % (2024)

• Universal health coverage

  : 55.0 (2023)

• HIV prevalence (ages 15-49)

  : 17.1 % (2024)

• Physicians

  : 0.23 (2022)

• Hospital beds

  : 1.30 (2006)

• Adolescent fertility (ages 15-19)

  : 69.5 (2024)

Public finances

• Government expenditure

  : 40.2 % (2022)

• Fiscal balance

  : 7.2 % (2024)

• General government debt

  : 59.9 % (2022)

• Primary balance

  : -6.2 % (2022)

Governance

• Control of corruption

  : -0.30 (2024)

• Government effectiveness

  : -0.65 (2024)

• Intentional homicides

  : 38.2 (2008)

• Political stability

  : -0.26 (2024)

• Rule of law

  : -0.41 (2024)

• Regulatory quality

  : -0.48 (2024)

• Voice and accountability

  : -0.16 (2024)

• Political regime

  : 2.00 (2025)

• Free and fair elections

  : 1.00 (2025)

Business

• Investment (gross fixed capital formation)

  : 30.9 % (2025)

• New business density

  : 1.47 (2020)

• Credit to the private sector

  : 20.0 % (2020)

• Non-performing bank loans

  : 4.2 % (2020)

• Inward foreign direct investment (amount)

  : -5.8 M$ (2025)

Consumption

• Household consumption

  : 96.8 % (2025)

• Gross national savings

  : 13.6 % (2025)

Well-being

• Self-reported life satisfaction

  : 4.38 (2025)