World Factbook
Lesotho
Kingdom of Lesotho
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Literacy
male
83.2% (2024 est.)
female
96.6% (2024 est.)
total population
90.4% (2024 est.)
Languages
Sesotho (official), English (official), Phuthi, Xhosa, Zulu
Religions
Protestant 47.8% (Pentecostal 23.1%, Lesotho Evangelical 17.3%, Anglican 7.4%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%, non-Christian 1.4%, none 2.3% (2014 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1 male(s)/female
total population
0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over
0.59 male(s)/female
Birth rate
21.68 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
10.2 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median age
male
23.4 years
total
24 years (2025 est.)
female
24.3 years
Population
male
1,099,314
total
2,222,962 (2025 est.)
female
1,123,648
Nationality
noun
Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective
Basotho
Tobacco use
male
42.4% (2025 est.)
total
22.8% (2025 est.)
female
4.1% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
30.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
32% (male 358,137/female 353,618)
15-64 years
62.7% (male 699,197/female 696,626)
65 years and over
5.4% (2024 est.) (male 44,625/female 75,345)
Ethnic groups
Sotho 99.7%, other 0.3% (includes Kwena, Nguni (Hlubi and Phuthi), Zulu)
Child marriage
men married by age 18
1.9% (2018)
women married by age 15
1% (2018)
women married by age 18
16.4% (2018)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio
56.8 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio
48.2 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio
11.6 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio
8.6 (2025 est.)
Physician density
0.24 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
10.2% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
13.1% of national budget (2022 est.)
Net migration rate
-4.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.49 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: rural
rural: 65.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 74% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 93% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 34.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 26% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 7% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% GDP)
6.6% of GDP (2024 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget)
10.4% national budget (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male
51 deaths/1,000 live births
total
52.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
female
40.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Population growth rate
0.73% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
1.23 (2025 est.)
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, as shown in this population distribution map
Life expectancy at birth
male
58.1 years
female
62.3 years
total population
60.2 years (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
478 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: rural
rural: 62.4% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 71.7% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 93.6% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 37.6% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 28.3% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 6.4% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer
1.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine
0.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total
3.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits
0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols
0.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Major urban areas - population
202,000 MASERU (capital) (2018)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
16.6% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth
20.9 years (2014 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
46.9% (2021 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
12.5% (2024 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male
11 years (2017 est.)
total
11 years (2017 est.)
female
11 years (2017 est.)