Lesotho vs South Africa: Annual change in GDP, population and CO₂ emissions
Lesotho
1.1%
in 2025
South Africa
1.1%
in 2025
Lesotho rank
96th
South Africa rank
93rd
Annual change in GDP, population and CO₂ emissions over time
- Lesotho
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.1% against 1.1% in Lesotho, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Lesotho ahead.
Lesotho ranks 96th and South Africa ranks 93rd of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Lesotho averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lesotho | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.2% | 3.0% | 0.2% | Lesotho |
| 1970s | 3.3% | 2.8% | 0.5% | Lesotho |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 3.2% | 0.6% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 1.6% | 0.4% | South Africa |
| 2000s | -0.1% | 1.0% | 1.1% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 1.4% | 0.3% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.4% | 0.3% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual change in gdp, population and co₂ emissions, Lesotho or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1.1% against 1.1% in Lesotho as of 2025.
- What is the difference in annual change in gdp, population and co₂ emissions between Lesotho and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and South Africa?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do Lesotho and South Africa rank globally for annual change in gdp, population and co₂ emissions?
- Lesotho ranks 96th and South Africa ranks 93rd of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, Eurostat, and United Nations Statistical Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Annual change in GDP, population and CO₂ emissions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage change in gross domestic product (GDP), population, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.