Urban population growth in Lesotho
Lesotho: Urban population growth was 3.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in Lesotho, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population growth in Lesotho is 3.3%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 39.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Lesotho peaked at 17.8% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2005.
That places Lesotho 34th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 17.8% | — |
| 1962 | 16.5% | -7.4% |
| 1963 | 14.9% | -9.4% |
| 1964 | 13.3% | -11.1% |
| 1965 | 11.6% | -12.7% |
| 1966 | 10.3% | -11.3% |
| 1967 | 10.2% | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 10.5% | +2.4% |
| 1969 | 10.2% | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 9.7% | -4.7% |
| 1971 | 9.1% | -6.8% |
| 1972 | 8.3% | -8.8% |
| 1973 | 7.3% | -11.1% |
| 1974 | 6.3% | -13.7% |
| 1975 | 5.2% | -17.3% |
| 1976 | 3.8% | -27.6% |
| 1977 | 3.0% | -20.5% |
| 1978 | 2.9% | -2.3% |
| 1979 | 3.0% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 3.0% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 3.0% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 3.0% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 2.9% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 2.9% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 2.9% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 2.8% | -6.2% |
| 1987 | 3.6% | +30.8% |
| 1988 | 5.0% | +39.2% |
| 1989 | 6.0% | +20.1% |
| 1990 | 6.7% | +10.2% |
| 1991 | 6.9% | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 6.9% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 6.6% | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 6.1% | -7.3% |
| 1995 | 5.5% | -10.0% |
| 1996 | 4.8% | -13.6% |
| 1997 | 4.1% | -14.3% |
| 1998 | 3.6% | -11.8% |
| 1999 | 3.2% | -10.1% |
| 2000 | 3.0% | -9.0% |
| 2001 | 2.8% | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | +29.3% |
| 2007 | 4.1% | +34.5% |
| 2008 | 4.6% | +11.8% |
| 2009 | 4.9% | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 5.0% | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 5.2% | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 5.5% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 5.5% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 5.5% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 5.3% | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 4.1% | -22.9% |
| 2018 | 4.0% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 3.9% | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 3.8% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 3.7% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 3.5% | -4.0% |
| 2023 | 3.5% | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | -1.7% |
| 2025 | 3.3% | -2.5% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 3.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.7%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 3.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.4%, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | +39.2% | 3.6% | 5.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.8% | 10.2% | 17.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.9% | 2.9% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.5% | 2.8% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.4% | 3.2% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.2% | 2.4% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.9% | 3.9% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.6% | 3.3% | 3.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 31 Cote d'Ivoire 3.5% compare
- 32 South Sudan 3.5% compare
- 33 Zimbabwe 3.4% compare
- 35 Georgia 3.3% compare
- 36 Nigeria 3.3% compare
- 37 Guinea-Bissau 3.3% compare
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 urban population growth in Lesotho?
- Urban population growth in Lesotho was 3.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 17.8% in 1961.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2005.
- How does Lesotho rank for urban population growth?
- Lesotho ranks 34th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban 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 urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.