Population growth in Lesotho
Lesotho: Population growth was 1.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Lesotho, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth in Lesotho is 1.1%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Lesotho peaked at 3.7% in 1968 and was at its lowest, -0.9%, in 2005.
Lesotho ranks 96th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.0% | — |
| 1962 | 3.0% | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 3.0% | -0.5% |
| 1964 | 2.9% | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 2.9% | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 3.2% | +9.3% |
| 1967 | 3.6% | +11.7% |
| 1968 | 3.7% | +2.5% |
| 1969 | 3.6% | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 3.6% | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 3.6% | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 3.5% | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 3.5% | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 3.4% | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 3.5% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 3.2% | -7.2% |
| 1977 | 2.9% | -9.9% |
| 1978 | 2.8% | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 2.9% | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 2.9% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 2.9% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 2.9% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 2.9% | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 2.8% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | -10.4% |
| 1987 | 2.2% | -12.9% |
| 1988 | 2.1% | -4.2% |
| 1989 | 2.0% | -4.3% |
| 1990 | 1.9% | -5.6% |
| 1991 | 1.8% | -6.4% |
| 1992 | 1.7% | -7.1% |
| 1993 | 1.5% | -9.1% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | -10.4% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | -9.6% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | -12.6% |
| 1997 | 0.8% | -25.8% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -37.3% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -47.9% |
| 2000 | 0.0% | -86.9% |
| 2001 | -0.2% | -550.9% |
| 2002 | -0.3% | +102.2% |
| 2003 | -0.5% | +56.4% |
| 2004 | -0.7% | +45.7% |
| 2005 | -0.9% | +30.7% |
| 2006 | -0.4% | -55.3% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | -202.4% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | +60.9% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | +7.3% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | +6.4% |
| 2011 | 0.9% | +14.6% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | +13.5% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | +7.7% |
| 2014 | 1.1% | +5.3% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 1.1% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | -5.9% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 1.1% | -1.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 1.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 63% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 1.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 49% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | -550.9% | 0.0% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | +202.4% | -0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2002 | -102.2% | -0.2% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | -86.9% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| 2008 | +60.9% | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| 2006 | +55.3% | -0.9% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.3% | 2.8% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.0% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 0.3% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.1% | -0.9% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More climate change data for Lesotho
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 6.55 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,116 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 715.74 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,401 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 50.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 61.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 51.99 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 9.3 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.1962 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Lesotho?
- Population growth in Lesotho was 1.1% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 1968.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.9% in 2005.
- How does Lesotho rank for population growth?
- Lesotho ranks 96th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.