ATLAS · COUNTRY PROFILE
Lesotho
According to the World Bank, Lesotho was home to 2.3 million people in 2024 — the 146th most populous of 217 countries, 0.03% of everyone on Earth.
REGIONSub-Saharan Africa
INCOME GROUP · WORLD BANKLower middle income
CAPITALMaseru
Lesotho by the numbers
| METRIC | VALUE | WORLD RANK | SHARE |
|---|---|---|---|
| PopulationWorld Bank, 2024 | 2.3 million | 146th of 217 | 0.03% |
| People | |||
| Population GrowthWorld Bank, 2024 | 1.1% | 97th of 217 | — |
| Birth RateWorld Bank, 2024 | 23.8 / 1,000 | 56th of 217 | — |
| Death RateWorld Bank, 2024 | 10.5 / 1,000 | 29th of 217 | — |
| Fertility RateWorld Bank, 2024 | 2.66 | 68th of 217 | — |
| Urban PopulationWorld Bank, 2024 | 43.7% | 164th of 217 | — |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (current US$)World Bank, 2024 | $2.3B | 187th of 214 | less than 0.01% |
| GDP per capitaWorld Bank, 2024 | $972 | 199th of 214 | — |
| GNI per capitaWorld Bank, 2024 | $1.2K | 182nd of 207 | — |
| InflationWorld Bank, 2024 | 6.1% | 43rd of 193 | — |
| UnemploymentWorld Bank, 2025 | 16.3% | 14th of 187 | — |
| Health | |||
| Life ExpectancyWorld Bank, 2024 | 57.8 yrs | 213th of 217 | — |
| Infant MortalityWorld Bank, 2024 | 56.3 / 1,000 | 11th of 196 | — |
| Health SpendingWorld Bank, 2024 | 12.6% | 8th of 193 | — |
| PhysiciansWorld Bank, 2023 | 0.2 / 1,000 | 173rd of 208 | — |
| Environment | |||
| CO₂ per capitaWorld Bank, 2024 | 0.43 | 166th of 203 | — |
| Forest CoverWorld Bank, 2023 | 1.1% | 194th of 214 | — |
| Renewable EnergyWorld Bank, 2022 | 34.9% | 70th of 212 | — |
| Society | |||
| Internet UsersWorld Bank, 2025 | 51.8% | 160th of 213 | — |
| Mobile SubscriptionsWorld Bank, 2024 | 70.3 / 1,000 | 180th of 214 | — |
| Literacy RateWorld Bank, 2024 | 90.4% | 100th of 170 | — |
| Land | |||
| Population DensityWorld Bank, 2023 | 76.1 | 129th of 216 | — |
| Arable LandWorld Bank, 2023 | 11.8% | 87th of 206 | — |
23 live measures for Lesotho, each linking to its world map and ranking. Every figure carries its source and year; where the source has no value for Lesotho, the table says so in words rather than inventing a number.
See Lesotho live
The Atlas shows how Lesotho is. The rest of LiveEarthViewer shows it right now — here are the live views from every canvas.
Either side by population
More in Sub-Saharan Africa
THE WORLD, BY THE NUMBERS
See where Lesotho sits on the live population map.