Home Countries Lesotho Southern Africa · sovereign state
Lesotho Kingdom of Lesotho
Capital Maseru
Languages English, Sotho
Currency Lesotho loti, South African rand
People 2.36 million (2025)
Neighbours 1 Greetings from
Lesotho
Highest tax revenue (central government) 35.4% · #1 of 150 · 2024 2nd highest farmland 92.9% · #2 of 205 · 2024 4th lowest daily calories 1,873 kcal · #4 of 189 · 2023 LSO COUNTRYDUEL AFRICA
Send this postcard Surprising facts about Lesotho The comparisons that stand out most against its neighbours, its region and the world median.
Picked for surprise among Lesotho’s neighbours, its region and the world median.
Lesotho among 213 countries & territories Each dot shows where Lesotho sits between the lowest and the highest value in the world; “See it” opens the full visual against the
world median. Higher is not automatically better.
Total area 30,360 km² 137th of 205 2024 Coastline 0 km 168th of 213 2026 edition Highest point 3,482 m 52nd of 213 2026 edition Forest cover 1.1% 189th of 207 2024 Farmland 92.9% 2nd of 205 2024 Population 2.36 million 144th of 210 2025 Population density 78 per km² 123rd of 209 2025 Height of men 167.9 cm 165th of 196 2019 Height of women 156.7 cm 164th of 196 2019 Median age 21.4 years 161st of 213 2023 Fertility rate 2.66 children per woman 67th of 210 2024 Aged 65 and over 3.9% 162nd of 210 2025 Refugees hosted per 1,000 residents 0.2 per 1,000 114th of 181 2025 Economy size (GDP) $2.57 billion 186th of 207 2025 GDP per person (PPP) Int$3,184 182nd of 198 2025 Income inequality (Gini) 44.9 17th of 155 2017 Extreme poverty ($3.00 a day) 41.9% 14th of 142 2017 Unemployment 16.3% 14th of 186 2025 Health spending per person $123 140th of 193 2023 Military spending 1.6% 86th of 161 2025 Tax revenue (central government) 35.4% 1st of 150 2024 Life expectancy 57.8 years 206th of 210 2024 Infant mortality 56.3 per 1,000 10th of 194 2024 Doctors 0.2 per 1,000 156th of 190 2022 Suicide rate 35 per 100k 2nd of 185 2023 Adult obesity 20.2% 122nd of 195 2024 Smoking 28% 38th of 166 2024 Life satisfaction 4.38 133rd of 163 2025 Alcohol consumption 4.2 litres 101st of 195 2023 Meat supply 18.8 kg 152nd of 189 2023 Daily calories 1,873 kcal 186th of 189 2023 Years of schooling 7.7 years 129th of 193 2023 Internet users 52% 159th of 208 2024 Fixed broadband download speed 82 Mbps 132nd of 197 2026 Access to electricity 60.6% 181st of 209 2024 Urban population 45% 156th of 210 2025 Mobile subscriptions 70 177th of 208 2024 CO₂ per person 1.1 t 147th of 203 2024 Renewable electricity 100% 1st of 201 2022 Air pollution (PM2.5) 24.5 µg/m³ 63rd of 213 2024 Road deaths 29.8 per 100k 39th of 185 2023 Average temperature 11.9°C 142nd of 187 2016–2025 avg Rainfall 1,060 mm 90th of 187 2016–2025 avg Nobel laureates per 10 million people 0 79th of 160 2026 Official languages 2 31st of 213 2026 Price level (US = 100) 34% 147th of 198 2025 World Heritage sites 1 138th of 195 2026 Olympic medals (all time) 0 143rd of 202 2026 edition
World twins The countries most like Lesotho across 12 indicators (GDP/person, Life exp., Median age, Fertility, Urban, Internet, Schooling, CO₂/person, Density, Temperature, Happiness, Obesity). Each indicator is standardised and compared by average distance; a resemblance, not a score.
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