PopulationTracker

Lesotho population

Current population of Lesotho

2,392,076

Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures

Births today
32
Deaths today
14
Change today (UTC)
+14
World rank
145th of 218
0.03% of world population
Population
2,363,325
2025 estimate
Annual growth
+1.10%
2025
Density
76 /km²
2023
Land area
30,360 km²
Urban population
45%
2025
Median age
21.8 yrs
2025 (UN WPP)
Fertility rate
2.66
births per woman, 2024
Life expectancy
57.8 yrs
2024
Net migration
−5,192
2025
Capital
Maseru
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa

Population of Lesotho: overview

Lesotho has a population of 2,363,325 according to the latest official estimates (2025), the 145th largest in the world. Lesotho is part of the Sub-Saharan Africa region and its capital is Maseru.

The population is growing steadily, at 1.10% per year. In absolute terms that meant roughly 25,902 additional people over the past year.

Population density is moderate — about 76 people per km², spread across 30,360 km² of land. The country remains predominantly rural, though cities are growing: 45% of residents are urban.

The population is young, with a median age of 21.8 years. The fertility rate of 2.66 children per woman sits above the replacement level of 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 57.8 years (2024).

The UN projects strong growth ahead: 2.99 million people by 2050, about 27% more than today. The 2030 projection is 2,493,818.

Lesotho population, 1960–2025 and projections

0750K1.5M2.3M3M19601980200020202040projected2025: 2.36M1960: 736,5001961: 758,8241962: 781,8141963: 805,3731964: 829,4371965: 854,0901966: 881,8701967: 913,9821968: 948,1051969: 983,2021970: 1,019,2731971: 1,056,2461972: 1,094,0631973: 1,132,6971974: 1,172,4201975: 1,213,6431976: 1,253,2141977: 1,289,9671978: 1,327,2401979: 1,366,1691980: 1,406,5211981: 1,448,0691982: 1,490,7321983: 1,534,4131984: 1,578,9861985: 1,624,3791986: 1,666,1381987: 1,703,3901988: 1,739,8411989: 1,775,4361990: 1,809,6961991: 1,842,3791992: 1,873,2741993: 1,901,7931994: 1,927,7071995: 1,951,4371996: 1,972,4181997: 1,988,1301998: 1,998,0491999: 2,003,2342000: 2,003,9132001: 2,000,8532002: 1,994,6792003: 1,985,0592004: 1,971,1292005: 1,953,0762006: 1,945,0632007: 1,953,2682008: 1,966,5412009: 1,980,8832010: 1,996,2512011: 2,014,0092012: 2,034,3542013: 2,056,5042014: 2,080,0892015: 2,104,6112016: 2,130,4222017: 2,157,1102018: 2,183,6032019: 2,209,4052020: 2,235,7272021: 2,261,5422022: 2,286,1102023: 2,311,4722024: 2,337,4232025: 2,363,3252030: 2,493,8182050: 2,993,076
Population of Lesotho by year
YearPopulationGrowth rateAnnual change
20252,363,325+1.10%+25,902
20242,337,423+1.12%+25,951
20232,311,472+1.10%+25,362
20222,286,110+1.08%+24,568
20212,261,542+1.15%+25,815
20202,235,727+1.18%+26,322
20192,209,405+1.17%+25,802
20182,183,603+1.22%+26,493
20172,157,110+1.24%+26,688
20162,130,422+1.22%+25,811
20152,104,611+1.17%+24,522
20142,080,089+1.14%+23,585
20101,996,251+0.77%+15,368
20051,953,076−0.92%−18,053
20002,003,913+0.03%+679
19951,951,437+1.22%+23,730
19901,809,696+1.91%+34,260
19851,624,379+2.83%+45,393
19801,406,521+2.91%+40,352
19751,213,643+3.46%+41,223
19701,019,273+3.60%+36,071
1965854,090+2.93%+24,653
1960736,500––

Recent years annually, earlier years at five-year steps. Annual change compares against the immediately preceding year.

Lesotho population forecast

United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.

Projected population of Lesotho
YearProjected populationvs today
20302,493,818+5.5%
20502,993,076+26.6%

Lesotho population pyramid (2025)

Age and sex structure from UN World Population Prospects 2024: 34.1% of Lesotho's population is under 15, 62.0% is of working age (15–64), and 3.9% is 65 or older. Hover any bar for the group's size.

MaleFemale
0%2%2%4%4%6%6%0-4 male: 131,752 (5.6%)0-4 female: 129,549 (5.5%)0-45-9 male: 137,524 (5.8%)5-9 female: 135,714 (5.7%)10-14 male: 136,216 (5.8%)10-14 female: 135,186 (5.7%)10-1415-19 male: 122,677 (5.2%)15-19 female: 122,219 (5.2%)20-24 male: 111,924 (4.7%)20-24 female: 112,337 (4.8%)20-2425-29 male: 100,225 (4.2%)25-29 female: 102,305 (4.3%)30-34 male: 97,219 (4.1%)30-34 female: 100,749 (4.3%)30-3435-39 male: 92,686 (3.9%)35-39 female: 97,858 (4.1%)40-44 male: 69,626 (2.9%)40-44 female: 75,743 (3.2%)40-4445-49 male: 46,421 (2.0%)45-49 female: 50,749 (2.1%)50-54 male: 30,718 (1.3%)50-54 female: 33,480 (1.4%)50-5455-59 male: 23,884 (1.0%)55-59 female: 29,114 (1.2%)60-64 male: 18,953 (0.8%)60-64 female: 26,787 (1.1%)60-6465-69 male: 14,408 (0.6%)65-69 female: 22,334 (0.9%)70-74 male: 8,505 (0.4%)70-74 female: 15,767 (0.7%)70-7475-79 male: 4,986 (0.2%)75-79 female: 10,541 (0.4%)80-84 male: 2,663 (0.1%)80-84 female: 6,098 (0.3%)80-8485-89 male: 1,323 (0.1%)85-89 female: 3,317 (0.1%)90-94 male: 393 (0.0%)90-94 female: 1,078 (0.0%)90-9495-99 male: 60 (0.0%)95-99 female: 209 (0.0%)100+ male: 4 (0.0%)100+ female: 24 (0.0%)100+

Lesotho population FAQ

What is the population of Lesotho in 2026?

Lesotho's population is estimated at about 2.39 million in 2026, extrapolated from the latest official figure of 2,363,325 (2025). Lesotho ranks 145th in the world by population.

Is the population of Lesotho growing or shrinking?

Lesotho's population is growing at about 1.10% per year, an increase of roughly 25,902 people over the past year.

How densely populated is Lesotho?

Lesotho has about 76 people per square kilometre across a land area of 30,360 km².

What share of the world's population lives in Lesotho?

Lesotho is home to about 0.03% of the world's population.

What is Lesotho's projected population in 2050?

United Nations medium-variant projections put Lesotho's population at 2,993,076 in 2050, passing through 2,493,818 in 2030.

What is the median age in Lesotho?

The median age in Lesotho is 21.8 years (2025 estimate) — half the population is younger and half older than that.

Sources: World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0); median age and projections from UN World Population Prospects 2024. Live figures are estimates extrapolated from the latest official data — see methodology.