Botswana vs Lesotho: Population, total
Botswana
2.56 million
in 2025
Lesotho
2.36 million
in 2025
Botswana rank
143rd
Lesotho rank
144th
Population, total over time
- Botswana
- Lesotho
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 2.56 million against 2.36 million in Lesotho, a difference of 198,800.
That makes Botswana's figure about 1.1 times Lesotho's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Lesotho ahead.
Botswana ranks 143rd and Lesotho ranks 144th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 2 and Lesotho in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | Lesotho | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 560,802 | 849,320 | 288,518 | Lesotho |
| 1970s | 718,052 | 1.19 million | 474,441 | Lesotho |
| 1980s | 1.10 million | 1.60 million | 493,385 | Lesotho |
| 1990s | 1.48 million | 1.93 million | 450,515 | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 1.83 million | 1.98 million | 147,094 | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 2.19 million | 2.10 million | 89,767 | Botswana |
| 2020s | 2.46 million | 2.30 million | 162,522 | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population, total, Botswana or Lesotho?
- Botswana, at 2.56 million against 2.36 million in Lesotho as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population, total between Botswana and Lesotho?
- 198,800, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Botswana and Lesotho rank globally for population, total?
- Botswana ranks 143rd and Lesotho ranks 144th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Population, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.