Population · Africa

Lesotho population 2026

Right now · estimate

2,398,285

Births today: 0
Deaths today: 0
Births this year: 46,413
Births minus deaths this year: +26,047

Lesotho has an estimated 2,389,336 people on 1 July 2026, the UN's projection, 26,011 more than a year earlier (+1.10%). It is the 147th most populous country in the world. It is projected to keep growing until 2083, peaking at 3.3 million, then decline to 3.3 million by 2100.

UN projection The counter interpolates the UN’s 1 July figures to the second; it is an estimate, not a count.

Rank in the world

Year	Population	Rank
1950	580 thousand	144th
2000	2 million	143rd
2026*	2.4 million	147th
2050*	3 million	142nd
2100*	3.3 million	138th

* UN medium-variant projection. Ranks among 237 countries and areas.

Lesotho in numbers, 2026

Births in 2026: 55 thousand 151 a day
Deaths in 2026: 24 thousand 66 a day
Net migration: −5 thousand more departures than arrivals
Growth rate: +1.09% growing
Fertility rate: 2.61per woman above replacement (2.1)
Median age: 22.1years world: 31.1
Life expectancy: 58.6years
Aged 65 and over: 3.9% 5.9% by 2050

Land, people and health

Capital: Maseru
Area: 30,355 km² 141st largest of 237
Population density: 79per km² 140th most crowded
Urban population: 45.7% 65.5% by 2050
Men and women: 1.2 million / 1.2 million 95.2 men per 100 women
Life expectancy, women: 61.3years men: 55.8 years
Infant mortality: 51.3per 1,000 births under-5: 65.2
Birth rate: 23.1per 1,000 death rate: 10.2
Net migration rate: −2.0per 1,000 net departures

Population of Lesotho, 1950–2100

Projected peak: 2083, 3.3 million. By 2050: 3 million (+25.3% from today).

UN estimate
UN projection

3.3M 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
1950	579,551
1951	590,269
1952	601,947
1953	614,474
1954	627,894
1955	642,188
1956	657,311
1957	674,669
1958	694,315
1959	714,947
1960	736,500
1961	758,824
1962	781,814
1963	805,373
1964	829,437
1965	854,090
1966	881,870
1967	913,982
1968	948,104
1969	983,202
1970	1,019,272
1971	1,056,246
1972	1,094,063
1973	1,132,697
1974	1,172,420
1975	1,213,643
1976	1,253,214
1977	1,289,967
1978	1,327,240
1979	1,366,169
1980	1,406,521
1981	1,448,069
1982	1,490,732
1983	1,534,413
1984	1,578,986
1985	1,624,379
1986	1,666,138
1987	1,703,390
1988	1,739,841
1989	1,775,436
1990	1,809,696
1991	1,842,379
1992	1,873,274
1993	1,901,793
1994	1,927,707
1995	1,951,437
1996	1,972,418
1997	1,988,130
1998	1,998,049
1999	2,003,234
2000	2,003,913
2001	2,000,853
2002	1,994,679
2003	1,985,059
2004	1,971,129
2005	1,953,076
2006	1,945,062
2007	1,953,268
2008	1,966,541
2009	1,980,883
2010	1,996,251
2011	2,014,009
2012	2,034,354
2013	2,056,504
2014	2,080,089
2015	2,104,612
2016	2,130,422
2017	2,157,110
2018	2,183,603
2019	2,209,405
2020	2,235,727
2021	2,261,542
2022	2,286,110
2023	2,311,472
2024 *	2,337,423
2025 *	2,363,325
2026 *	2,389,336
2027 *	2,415,368
2028 *	2,441,442
2029 *	2,467,683
2030 *	2,493,818
2031 *	2,520,021
2032 *	2,546,490
2033 *	2,573,110
2034 *	2,599,779
2035 *	2,626,567
2036 *	2,653,498
2037 *	2,680,080
2038 *	2,706,202
2039 *	2,732,146
2040 *	2,757,876
2041 *	2,783,369
2042 *	2,808,544
2043 *	2,833,260
2044 *	2,857,504
2045 *	2,881,339
2046 *	2,904,784
2047 *	2,927,865
2048 *	2,950,413
2049 *	2,972,157
2050 *	2,993,076
2051 *	3,013,558
2052 *	3,033,468
2053 *	3,052,322
2054 *	3,070,098
2055 *	3,087,284
2056 *	3,103,870
2057 *	3,119,743
2058 *	3,135,128
2059 *	3,150,018
2060 *	3,164,303
2061 *	3,177,872
2062 *	3,190,884
2063 *	3,202,918
2064 *	3,213,882
2065 *	3,224,032
2066 *	3,233,714
2067 *	3,243,286
2068 *	3,252,543
2069 *	3,261,246
2070 *	3,269,324
2071 *	3,276,547
2072 *	3,282,697
2073 *	3,288,163
2074 *	3,293,323
2075 *	3,297,636
2076 *	3,301,209
2077 *	3,304,588
2078 *	3,307,444
2079 *	3,309,742
2080 *	3,311,356
2081 *	3,312,334
2082 *	3,312,871
2083 *	3,312,996
2084 *	3,312,880
2085 *	3,312,368
2086 *	3,311,724
2087 *	3,310,742
2088 *	3,309,192
2089 *	3,307,347
2090 *	3,305,222
2091 *	3,302,682
2092 *	3,299,293
2093 *	3,295,485
2094 *	3,291,602
2095 *	3,287,138
2096 *	3,282,244
2097 *	3,277,008
2098 *	3,271,338
2099 *	3,265,513
2100 *	3,259,299

* UN projection

Population of Lesotho by year

2 million in 2000, 2.4 million in 2026. Every year for the last decade, then every five years to 1950. * UN projection; earlier years are UN estimates.

Year	Population	Yearly change	Change	Net migrants	Median age	Fertility	Density (km²)	Urban	World share	World rank
2026*	2,389,336	+1.10%	+26,011	−4,876	22.1	2.61	79	46%	0.03%	147
2025*	2,363,325	+1.11%	+25,902	−5,192	21.8	2.64	78	45%	0.03%	147
2024*	2,337,423	+1.12%	+25,951	−5,107	21.6	2.66	77	44%	0.03%	147
2023	2,311,472	+1.11%	+25,362	−5,168	21.4	2.69	76	43%	0.03%	147
2022	2,286,110	+1.09%	+24,568	−6,023	21.3	2.72	75	42%	0.03%	147
2021	2,261,542	+1.15%	+25,815	−3,449	21.1	2.77	74	41%	0.03%	147
2020	2,235,727	+1.19%	+26,322	−3,449	21.0	2.85	74	40%	0.03%	147
2019	2,209,405	+1.18%	+25,802	−6,896	20.8	2.92	73	39%	0.03%	147
2018	2,183,603	+1.23%	+26,493	−6,892	20.7	3.02	72	38%	0.03%	147
2017	2,157,110	+1.25%	+26,688	−6,850	20.6	3.11	71	37%	0.03%	146
2016	2,130,422	+1.23%	+25,810	−6,766	20.4	3.18	70	36%	0.03%	146
2015	2,104,612	+1.18%	+24,523	−7,087	20.3	3.22	69	34%	0.03%	146
2010	1,996,251	+0.78%	+15,368	−5,886	19.7	3.25	66	27%	0.03%	147
2005	1,953,076	−0.92%	−18,053	−35,679	18.9	3.43	64	23%	0.03%	146
2000	2,003,913	+0.03%	+679	−26,220	18.2	3.61	66	19%	0.03%	143
1995	1,951,437	+1.23%	+23,730	−14,588	17.4	4.13	64	17%	0.03%	145
1990	1,809,696	+1.93%	+34,260	−11,598	17.4	4.81	60	13%	0.03%	144
1985	1,624,379	+2.87%	+45,393	+1,222	17.4	5.40	54	11%	0.03%	144
1980	1,406,521	+2.95%	+40,352	+1,361	17.7	5.75	46	11%	0.03%	145
1975	1,213,643	+3.52%	+41,223	+9,723	17.8	5.82	40	11%	0.03%	144
1970	1,019,272	+3.67%	+36,070	+10,605	17.0	5.70	34	9%	0.03%	144
1965	854,090	+2.97%	+24,653	+2,239	16.2	5.77	28	7%	0.03%	145
1960	736,500	+3.01%	+21,553	+1,989	16.3	5.78	24	4%	0.02%	145
1955	642,188	+2.28%	+14,294	−1,380	16.6	5.79	21	2%	0.02%	144
1950	579,551	–	–	−986	17.7	5.70	19	2%	0.02%	144

Population forecast for Lesotho

UN medium-variant projection: 3 million in 2050 (+25.3% from 2026), 3.3 million in 2100.

Year	Population	Yearly change	Net migrants	Median age	Fertility	Density (km²)	Urban	World share	World rank
2030	2,493,818	+1.06%	−4,982	23.0	2.50	82	50%	0.03%	147
2035	2,626,567	+1.03%	−4,199	24.3	2.38	87	54%	0.03%	146
2040	2,757,876	+0.94%	−4,250	25.8	2.29	91	58%	0.03%	142
2045	2,881,339	+0.83%	−3,693	27.4	2.21	95	62%	0.03%	142
2050	2,993,076	+0.70%	−3,675	28.8	2.14	99	66%	0.03%	142
2060	3,164,303	+0.45%	−3,124	31.2	2.02	104	–	0.03%	140
2070	3,269,324	+0.25%	−2,622	33.3	1.94	108	–	0.03%	140
2080	3,311,356	+0.05%	−3,506	35.4	1.89	109	–	0.03%	139
2090	3,305,222	−0.06%	−2,208	37.2	1.84	109	–	0.03%	138
2100	3,259,299	−0.19%	−2,858	38.7	1.80	107	–	0.03%	138

Largest cities in Lesotho

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames cities15000 (CC BY 4.0), so years differ by city. Largest cities in the world

#	City	Region	Population
1	Maseru (capital)	Maseru District	359,753
2	Maputsoe	Leribe	61,916
3	Mohale's Hoek	Mohale's Hoek District	46,593
4	Mafeteng	Mafeteng District	45,287
5	Hlotse	Leribe	43,967
6	Butha-Buthe	Butha-Buthe	40,599
7	Mabote	Berea	38,047
8	Quthing	Quthing	33,910
9	Teyateyaneng	Berea	27,272
10	Qacha’s Nek	Qacha's Nek District	25,573

Age structure

Median age 22.1. 3.9% are 65 or older, 5.9% by 2050; 33.6% are under 15.

Lesotho, 2026 Men 2026 Women 2026 2050 (projection)

Share of the total population in each age group (%)

Births per woman

2.61 in 2026; about 2.1 keeps a population stable without migration.

UN estimate
UN projection

1.8 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Fertility rate
1950	5.70
1951	5.72
1952	5.73
1953	5.75
1954	5.78
1955	5.79
1956	5.79
1957	5.79
1958	5.79
1959	5.79
1960	5.78
1961	5.79
1962	5.79
1963	5.78
1964	5.77
1965	5.77
1966	5.76
1967	5.74
1968	5.72
1969	5.70
1970	5.70
1971	5.70
1972	5.69
1973	5.69
1974	5.75
1975	5.82
1976	5.87
1977	5.85
1978	5.82
1979	5.79
1980	5.75
1981	5.69
1982	5.63
1983	5.56
1984	5.48
1985	5.40
1986	5.32
1987	5.22
1988	5.10
1989	4.96
1990	4.81
1991	4.68
1992	4.54
1993	4.36
1994	4.21
1995	4.13
1996	4.06
1997	3.98
1998	3.82
1999	3.67
2000	3.61
2001	3.63
2002	3.68
2003	3.62
2004	3.51
2005	3.43
2006	3.41
2007	3.44
2008	3.39
2009	3.31
2010	3.25
2011	3.34
2012	3.30
2013	3.28
2014	3.24
2015	3.22
2016	3.18
2017	3.11
2018	3.02
2019	2.92
2020	2.85
2021	2.77
2022	2.72
2023	2.69
2024 *	2.66
2025 *	2.64
2026 *	2.61
2027 *	2.58
2028 *	2.55
2029 *	2.53
2030 *	2.50
2031 *	2.47
2032 *	2.45
2033 *	2.43
2034 *	2.41
2035 *	2.38
2036 *	2.37
2037 *	2.34
2038 *	2.32
2039 *	2.30
2040 *	2.29
2041 *	2.27
2042 *	2.25
2043 *	2.24
2044 *	2.22
2045 *	2.21
2046 *	2.19
2047 *	2.18
2048 *	2.17
2049 *	2.16
2050 *	2.14
2051 *	2.13
2052 *	2.12
2053 *	2.11
2054 *	2.09
2055 *	2.08
2056 *	2.07
2057 *	2.05
2058 *	2.04
2059 *	2.03
2060 *	2.02
2061 *	2.01
2062 *	2.00
2063 *	1.99
2064 *	1.98
2065 *	1.97
2066 *	1.97
2067 *	1.96
2068 *	1.95
2069 *	1.95
2070 *	1.94
2071 *	1.93
2072 *	1.93
2073 *	1.92
2074 *	1.92
2075 *	1.91
2076 *	1.91
2077 *	1.90
2078 *	1.90
2079 *	1.89
2080 *	1.89
2081 *	1.88
2082 *	1.87
2083 *	1.87
2084 *	1.87
2085 *	1.86
2086 *	1.86
2087 *	1.85
2088 *	1.85
2089 *	1.84
2090 *	1.84
2091 *	1.83
2092 *	1.83
2093 *	1.83
2094 *	1.82
2095 *	1.82
2096 *	1.81
2097 *	1.81
2098 *	1.81
2099 *	1.80
2100 *	1.80

* UN projection

Births and deaths each year

Deaths are projected to outnumber births from 2091.

Births
Deaths
UN estimate
UN projection

38k 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Births	Deaths
1950	25,260	14,079
1951	25,931	13,611
1952	26,597	13,337
1953	27,296	13,128
1954	28,158	12,943
1955	28,865	12,798
1956	29,657	12,661
1957	30,438	12,577
1958	31,245	12,609
1959	32,030	12,704
1960	32,825	12,843
1961	33,645	13,064
1962	34,465	13,333
1963	35,234	13,648
1964	36,050	13,934
1965	37,010	14,255
1966	37,892	14,566
1967	38,885	14,974
1968	39,705	15,214
1969	40,573	15,436
1970	41,577	15,642
1971	42,729	15,892
1972	43,962	16,121
1973	45,243	16,385
1974	47,182	16,738
1975	49,300	16,990
1976	51,384	17,267
1977	53,013	17,359
1978	54,437	17,352
1979	55,728	17,288
1980	56,801	17,183
1981	57,809	17,002
1982	58,829	16,887
1983	59,762	16,863
1984	60,664	16,879
1985	61,614	17,040
1986	62,528	17,297
1987	65,296	17,578
1988	65,007	17,850
1989	64,401	18,136
1990	63,575	18,516
1991	62,988	18,961
1992	62,133	19,554
1993	60,762	20,259
1994	59,788	21,158
1995	59,643	22,274
1996	59,988	23,762
1997	60,089	25,452
1998	58,418	27,529
1999	57,007	29,614
2000	56,606	31,820
2001	57,456	34,268
2002	58,573	36,300
2003	58,151	38,018
2004	56,642	39,371
2005	55,781	39,950
2006	55,681	40,447
2007	57,589	39,828
2008	58,292	38,944
2009	58,148	37,812
2010	58,218	36,340
2011	60,840	35,195
2012	61,085	33,494
2013	61,671	31,882
2014	61,362	30,440
2015	61,408	29,322
2016	61,638	28,246
2017	60,920	27,318
2018	59,745	26,633
2019	58,417	26,138
2020	57,297	26,575
2021	56,302	28,497
2022	55,764	24,961
2023	55,728	24,612
2024 *	55,542	24,491
2025 *	55,434	24,376
2026 *	55,312	24,271
2027 *	55,177	24,186
2028 *	55,092	24,128
2029 *	55,086	24,092
2030 *	55,094	24,075
2031 *	55,121	24,081
2032 *	55,189	24,104
2033 *	55,268	24,142
2034 *	55,362	24,208
2035 *	55,384	24,282
2036 *	55,432	24,383
2037 *	55,368	24,502
2038 *	55,152	24,640
2039 *	54,958	24,786
2040 *	54,823	24,960
2041 *	54,620	25,139
2042 *	54,282	25,344
2043 *	53,992	25,557
2044 *	53,698	25,792
2045 *	53,354	26,023
2046 *	53,022	26,276
2047 *	52,693	26,586
2048 *	52,438	26,890
2049 *	52,091	27,217
2050 *	51,775	27,555
2051 *	51,449	27,917
2052 *	51,165	28,287
2053 *	50,820	28,656
2054 *	50,469	29,046
2055 *	50,100	29,449
2056 *	49,761	29,864
2057 *	49,404	30,287
2058 *	49,138	30,735
2059 *	48,869	31,223
2060 *	48,635	31,647
2061 *	48,440	32,107
2062 *	48,229	32,573
2063 *	48,034	33,041
2064 *	47,746	33,504
2065 *	47,503	33,972
2066 *	47,281	34,410
2067 *	47,104	34,848
2068 *	46,921	35,269
2069 *	46,714	35,700
2070 *	46,479	36,071
2071 *	46,225	36,473
2072 *	45,971	36,782
2073 *	45,684	37,117
2074 *	45,400	37,428
2075 *	45,119	37,719
2076 *	44,800	37,980
2077 *	44,508	38,235
2078 *	44,196	38,471
2079 *	43,858	38,668
2080 *	43,522	38,866
2081 *	43,169	39,081
2082 *	42,850	39,260
2083 *	42,606	39,386
2084 *	42,262	39,547
2085 *	41,940	39,699
2086 *	41,618	39,890
2087 *	41,336	40,077
2088 *	41,099	40,229
2089 *	40,837	40,380
2090 *	40,576	40,543
2091 *	40,309	40,713
2092 *	40,081	40,848
2093 *	39,831	40,999
2094 *	39,540	41,156
2095 *	39,244	41,279
2096 *	39,011	41,379
2097 *	38,797	41,481
2098 *	38,539	41,558
2099 *	38,246	41,629
2100 *	38,011	41,698

* UN projection

Economy of Lesotho

GDP by country →

GDP 2026: $3.1 billion 167th largest economy
GDP per person: $1,298 US$, market rates
GDP per person (PPP): Int$ 3,325 at purchasing power parity
Economic growth: +1.1% real GDP
Inflation: 4.6% consumer prices
Unemployment: – of the labour force
Government debt: 47.5% of GDP
Share of world GDP: 0.0%

IMF estimate
IMF projection

3.8B 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	GDP, US$
1990	635,000,000
1991	743,000,000
1992	863,000,000
1993	865,000,000
1994	915,000,000
1995	1,032,000,000
1996	977,000,000
1997	1,027,000,000
1998	949,000,000
1999	937,000,000
2000	922,000,000
2001	774,000,000
2002	856,000,000
2003	1,256,000,000
2004	1,598,000,000
2005	1,730,000,000
2006	1,720,000,000
2007	1,759,000,000
2008	1,652,000,000
2009	1,937,000,000
2010	2,356,000,000
2011	2,571,000,000
2012	2,465,000,000
2013	2,345,000,000
2014	2,477,000,000
2015	2,202,000,000
2016	2,206,000,000
2017	2,424,000,000
2018	2,472,000,000
2019	2,323,000,000
2020	2,092,000,000
2021	2,443,000,000
2022	2,275,000,000
2023	2,227,000,000
2024	2,514,000,000
2025	2,766,000,000
2026 *	3,102,000,000
2027 *	3,218,000,000
2028 *	3,355,000,000
2029 *	3,501,000,000
2030 *	3,652,000,000
2031 *	3,808,000,000

* IMF projection

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026). 2026 and later are IMF projections. GDP per capita by country · Richest countries

CO₂ emissions of Lesotho

CO₂ by country →

CO₂ emissions 2024: 2.6 million tonnes 152nd largest emitter
Per person: 1.10 t world: 4.73 t
Share of world CO₂: 0.01% 0.03% of its people
Change since 1990: +75% +28% since 2005

2.6 2024

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	CO₂, million tonnes
1990	1.47
1991	1.53
1992	1.59
1993	1.63
1994	1.67
1995	1.71
1996	1.74
1997	1.77
1998	1.80
1999	1.82
2000	1.85
2001	1.87
2002	1.91
2003	1.93
2004	1.98
2005	2.01
2006	2.03
2007	2.07
2008	2.12
2009	2.22
2010	2.27
2011	2.76
2012	2.79
2013	2.12
2014	2.24
2015	2.04
2016	2.03
2017	2.29
2018	2.17
2019	2.19
2020	1.99
2021	3.10
2022	2.55
2023	2.49
2024	2.57

By source, 2024

Coal63.8%
Oil36.2%

Fossil fuels and industry, territorial; Global Carbon Budget via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0). CO₂ per capita by country · Historical emissions

Compare with Africa

Country	Population 2026	Growth	Fertility	Median age
Lesotho	2.4 million	+1.09%	2.61	22.1
Nigeria	242 million	+2.03%	4.20	18.3
Ethiopia	139 million	+2.48%	3.72	19.3
Egypt	120 million	+1.44%	2.68	24.7
DR Congo	116 million	+3.13%	5.80	15.9
Tanzania	72.6 million	+2.79%	4.41	17.6
South Africa	65.5 million	+1.05%	2.17	28.9
Kenya	58.6 million	+1.89%	3.07	20.3
Sudan	53.3 million	+3.03%	4.13	18.8

All 237 countries · Fertility rate by country · Birth rate by country · Median age by country · Life expectancy by country · Population growth rate by country · Population density by country · Largest countries by area · Death rate by country · Infant mortality rate by country · Elderly population by country · Net migration rate by country · Urban population by country · Sex ratio by country

Air quality in Lesotho today

Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast for Maseru.

See air quality →

Questions

What is the population of Lesotho in 2026?

2,389,336 on 1 July 2026, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024 (medium-variant projection). That is 2.4 million people, +1.10% on 2025.

Is Lesotho's population growing or shrinking?

Growing: 26,011 more people in 2026 than in 2025, with 151 births and 66 deaths a day and net migration of −4,876 a year.

When will Lesotho's population peak?

In 2083, at about 3.3 million, on the UN's medium projection; 3.3 million by 2100.

What is the fertility rate in Lesotho?

2.61 births per woman in 2026. A population replaces itself at about 2.1.

How many babies are born in Lesotho every day?

About 151 a day (55 thousand in 2026), against about 66 deaths a day.

What is the life expectancy in Lesotho?

58.6 years at birth in 2026: 61.3 for women and 55.8 for men, against a world average of 73.8.

How many men and women live in Lesotho?

About 1.2 million men and 1.2 million women in 2026, or 95.2 men for every 100 women.

What is the population density of Lesotho?

79 people per km² of land in 2026, on a total area of 30,355 km². The world average is 64.

What was the population of Lesotho in 2000?

2,003,913 (2 million), the UN estimate for 1 July 2000. It has grown by 19% since, to 2.4 million in 2026.

What will the population of Lesotho be in 2050?

About 3 million on the UN's medium projection (2,993,076), +25.3% from 2026; 3.3 million by 2100.

What are the largest cities in Lesotho?

Maseru (360 thousand), Maputsoe (62 thousand), Mohale's Hoek (47 thousand), Mafeteng (45 thousand), Hlotse (44 thousand). Figures are for the city proper, from GeoNames.

What is the GDP of Lesotho in 2026?

$3.1 billion at current prices, the 167th largest economy in the world, on the IMF’s World Economic Outlook (October 2026) figures; real growth of +1.1%.

What is Lesotho's GDP per capita?

$1,298 per person at market exchange rates in 2026, or Int$ 3,325 at purchasing power parity, which adjusts for local prices.

How much CO₂ does Lesotho emit?

2.6 million tonnes from fossil fuels and industry in 2024, 1.10 t per person and 0.01% of the world total; coal is the largest source (64%).

Source and method

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant. Figures for 1950–2023 are UN estimates; later years are the medium-variant projection, which assumes fertility, mortality and migration follow their most likely paths. National statistics offices publish their own counts, which can differ. Reuse under CC BY 3.0 IGO. How we use the data.