Lesotho Population (LIVE)

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Lesotho Population (1950 - 2024)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of Lesotho is 2,348,641 as of Monday, March 18, 2024, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data 1.
  • Lesotho 2023 population is estimated at 2,330,318 people at mid year.
  • Lesotho population is equivalent to 0.03% of the total world population.
  • Lesotho ranks number 147 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in Lesotho is 77 per Km2 (199 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 30,360 Km2 (11,722 sq. miles)
  • 31.4 % of the population is urban (732,775 people in 2023)
  • The median age in Lesotho is 22.3 years.
1. Updated on July 16, 2023 with the latest July 2023-July 2024 estimates from the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Lesotho (2024 and historical)

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationLesotho
Global Rank
2024 2,356,083 1.11 % 25,765 -4,000 22.4 2.90 78 32.0 % 753,231 0.03 % 8,118,835,999 147
2023 2,330,318 1.06 % 24,493 -4,000 22.3 2.94 77 31.4 % 732,775 0.03 % 8,045,311,447 147
2022 2,305,825 1.07 % 24,371 -4,000 22.2 2.98 76 30.9 % 712,787 0.03 % 7,975,105,156 147
2020 2,254,100 1.28 % 28,398 -1,490 21.9 3.05 74 29.9 % 674,092 0.03 % 7,840,952,880 147
2015 2,118,521 0.93 % 19,155 -4,129 21.0 3.26 70 27.6 % 585,146 0.03 % 7,426,597,537 146
2010 2,022,747 0.45 % 9,065 -6,204 20.0 3.25 67 25.0 % 506,015 0.03 % 6,985,603,105 147
2005 1,977,424 -0.21 % -4,241 -22,692 19.1 3.44 65 21.9 % 433,749 0.03 % 6,558,176,119 145
2000 1,998,630 0.66 % 12,910-23,572 18.5 3.66 66 18.3 % 365,288 0.03 % 6,148,898,975 143
1995 1,934,079 1.46 % 27,016 -16,279 17.7 4.14 64 15.4 % 298,639 0.03 % 5,743,219,454 144
1990 1,798,997 2.16 % 36,460 -12,891 17.4 4.76 59 12.5 % 224,016 0.03 % 5,316,175,862 144
1985 1,616,697 2.81 % 41,805 398 17.2 5.37 53 10.7 % 173,014 0.03 % 4,861,730,613 143
1980 1,407,672 2.97 % 38,298 950 17.5 5.75 46 10.7 % 150,006 0.03 % 4,444,007,706 144
1975 1,216,180 3.51 % 38,540 8,959 17.7 5.90 40 10.2 % 124,517 0.03 % 4,069,437,231 143
1970 1,023,481 3.54 % 32,652 10,278 16.9 5.73 34 8.7 % 88,923 0.03 % 3,695,390,336 143
1965 860,220 3.12 % 24,476 4,055 16.3 5.78 28 6.9 % 59,437 0.03 % 3,337,111,983 143
1960 737,838 2.84 % 19,295 2,591 16.3 5.82 24 4.1 % 29,906 0.02 % 3,019,233,434 144
1955 641,361 2.05 % 12,378 -1,386 16.6 5.81 21 2.5 % 16,146 0.02 % 2,746,072,141 143
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
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Lesotho Population Forecast

-4,000
YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationLesotho
Global Rank
2025 2,381,381 1.10 % 25,456 -4,000 22.5 2.86 78 32.5 % 774,177 0.03 % 8,191,988,453 147
2030 2,501,946 0.99 % 24,113 -4,000 23.2 2.69 82 35.4 % 886,719 0.03 % 8,546,141,327 147
2035 2,614,644 0.89 % 22,540 -4,000 24.0 2.56 86 38.8 % 1,014,316 0.03 % 8,879,397,401 147
2040 2,720,180 0.79 % 21,107 -4,000 24.9 2.45 90 42.6 % 1,158,199 0.03 % 9,188,250,492 144
2045 2,815,731 0.69 % 19,110 -4,000 26.0 2.34 93 46.8 % 1,316,407 0.03 % 9,467,543,575 144
2050 2,898,369 0.58 % 16,528   27.1 2.24 95 51.2 % 1,484,831 0.03 % 9,709,491,761 142
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Lesotho Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Lesotho
Life Expectancy
54.91 years
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality
65.5
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
85.0
(per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in Lesotho

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

# CITY NAME POPULATION
1 Maseru 118,355
2 Mafeteng 57,059
3 Leribe 47,675
4 Maputsoe 32,117
5 Mohale's Hoek 28,310
6 Qacha's Nek 25,573
7 Quthing 24,130
8 Butha-Buthe 16,330

See also

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Notes

The Lesotho Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Lesotho delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Lesotho (1950 - 2023) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2023.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2023. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.


Yearly % Change: For 2023: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2023: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by Lesotho in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.