Lesotho

Kingdom of Lesotho

Africa Maseru

Population

2.22M

Area

30,355 km²

GDP

$2.27B

GDP Per Capita

$2,600

Pop. Density

73/km²

Quick Facts

Currency

LLesotho loti(LSL)

Calling Code

+266

Timezone

UTC+02:00

Languages

English, Sotho

Driving Side

left

Demonym

Mosotho

Background

Paramount chief MOSHOESHOE I consolidated what would become Basutoland in the early 19th century and made himself king in 1822. Continuing encroachments by Dutch settlers from the neighboring Orange Free State caused the king to enter into an 1868 agreement with the UK that made Basutoland first a British protectorate and, after 1884, a crown colony. After gaining independence in 1966, the country was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho. The Basotho National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE II was exiled in 1990, returned to Lesotho in 1992, was reinstated in 1995, and was then succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule.

In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections in 2007 were hotly contested, and aggrieved parties disputed how seats were awarded. In 2012, competitive elections saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government -- the first in the country's history -- that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month. MOSISILI returned to power in snap elections in 2015 after the collapse of THABANE’s coalition government and an alleged attempted military coup. In 2017, THABANE returned to become prime minister but stepped down in 2020 after being implicated in his estranged wife’s murder. He was succeeded by Moseketsi MAJORO. In 2022, Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE was inaugurated as prime minister and head of a three-party coalition.

Historical Trends

GDP (USD)

↑26.2% since 2006

$2B (2006)$2B (2024)

Population

↑20.2% since 2006

1.9M (2006)2.3M (2024)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Latest: 57.4 years

2006: 43.2 years2023: 57.4 years

Data source: World Bank Open Data

Geography19

Location

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Geographic coordinates

29 30 S, 28 30 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total : 30,355 sq km
land: 30,355 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries

total: 1,106 km
border countries: South Africa 1,106 km

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Climate

temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Terrain

mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Elevation

highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
mean elevation: 2,161 m

Natural resources

water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone

Land use

agricultural land

77.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 65.9% (2023 est.)

forest

1.1% (2023 est.)

other

21.1% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

12 sq km (2013)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Orange river source (shared with South Africa and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)

Population distribution

relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people, as shown in this population distribution map

Natural hazards

periodic droughts

Geography - note

landlocked, surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m (5,900 ft) above sea level

People & Society35

Population

total: 2,222,962 (2025 est.)
male: 1,099,314
female: 1,123,648

Nationality

noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho

Ethnic groups

Sotho 99.7%, other 0.3% (includes Kwena, Nguni (Hlubi and Phuthi), Zulu)

Languages

Sesotho (official), English (official), Phuthi, Xhosa, Zulu

Religions

Protestant 47.8% (Pentecostal 23.1%, Lesotho Evangelical 17.3%, Anglican 7.4%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%, non-Christian 1.4%, none 2.3% (2014 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 32% (male 358,137/female 353,618)
15-64 years: 62.7% (male 699,197/female 696,626)
65 years and over: 5.4% (2024 est.) (male 44,625/female 75,345)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 56.8 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 48.2 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 8.6 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 11.6 (2025 est.)

Median age

total: 24 years (2025 est.)
male: 23.4 years
female: 24.3 years

Population growth rate

0.73% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

21.68 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

10.2 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-4.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

urban population: 30.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

202,000 MASERU (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.9 years (2014 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

478 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 52.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 60.2 years (2024 est.)
male: 58.1 years
female: 62.3 years

Total fertility rate

2.49 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.23 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

urban: 93% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 65.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 74% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 34.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 26% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 10.2% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 13.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

0.24 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

urban: 93.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 62.4% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 71.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 6.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 37.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 28.3% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

16.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 3.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 22.8% (2025 est.)
male: 42.4% (2025 est.)
female: 4.1% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

12.5% (2024 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

46.9% (2021 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 1% (2018)
women married by age 18: 16.4% (2018)
men married by age 18: 1.9% (2018)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 6.6% of GDP (2024 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 10.4% national budget (2024 est.)

Literacy

total population: 90.4% (2024 est.)
male: 83.2% (2024 est.)
female: 96.6% (2024 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years (2017 est.)
male: 11 years (2017 est.)
female: 11 years (2017 est.)

Government25

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Lesotho

conventional short form

Lesotho

local long form

Kingdom of Lesotho

local short form

Lesotho

former

Basutoland

etymology

the name comes from the Sotho people, whose name means "dark-skinned;" Le- is a singular noun prefix; the former name, Basutoland, uses the plural noun prefix, Ba-

Government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital

name: Maseru
geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name means "[place of] red sandstones" in the Sesotho language

Administrative divisions

10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Legal system

mixed system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; High Court and Court of Appeal review legislative acts

Constitution

history: previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version)
amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, including fundamental rights and freedoms, sovereignty of the kingdom, the office of the king, and powers of Parliament, requires a majority vote by the National Assembly, approval by the Senate, approval in a referendum by a majority of qualified voters, and assent of the king; passage of amendments other than those specified provisions requires at least a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE (28 October 2022)
cabinet: consists of the prime minister (appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State), the deputy prime minister, and 18 other ministers; the prime minister is the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the National Assembly
election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary but has no executive or legislative powers under the constitution; under traditional law, the College of Chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, determine next in line of succession, or serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature age

Legislative branch

legislature name: Parliament
legislative structure: bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

National Assembly

number of seats

122 (all directly elected)

electoral system

mixed system

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

most recent election date

11/2/2022

parties elected and seats per party

Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) (56); Democratic Congress (DC) (29); All Basotho Convention (ABC) (8); Basotho Action Party (BAP) (6); Other (20)

percentage of women in chamber

25%

expected date of next election

October 2027

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate

number of seats

33 (11 appointed)

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

most recent election date

10/7/2022

percentage of women in chamber

21.2%

expected date of next election

November 2027

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament)
judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75
subordinate courts: Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; military courts

Political parties

All Basotho Convention or ABC
Alliance of Democrats or AD
Basotho Action Party or BAP
Basotho National Party or BNP
Democratic Congress or DC
Democratic Party of Lesotho or DPL
Lesotho People's Congress or LPC
Movement of Economic Change or MEC
National Independent Party or NIP
Popular Front for Democracy of PFD
Reformed Congress of Lesotho or RCL

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Tumisang MOSOTHO (since 16 September 2022)
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533
FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
email address and website:
[email protected]

https://www.gov.ls/

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Thomas HINES (since August 2024)

embassy

254 Kingsway Avenue, Maseru

mailing address

2340 Maseru Place, Washington DC  20521-2340

telephone

[266] 22312666

FAX

[266] 22310116

email address and website

[email protected]

https://ls.usembassy.gov/

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Independence

4 October 1966 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

Flag

description: three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green; centered on the white stripe is a black mokorotlo, a traditional Basotho straw hat and national symbol

meaning: blue stands for rain, white for peace, and green for prosperity

history: the redesigned flag was introduced in 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence

National symbol(s)

mokorotio (Basotho hat)

National color(s)

blue, white, green, black

National anthem(s)

title: "Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers)
lyrics/music: Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR
history: adopted 1967; music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Maloti-Drakensberg Park

Economy31

Economic overview

lower middle-income economy surrounded by South Africa; environmentally fragile and politically unstable; key infrastructure and renewable energy investments; dire poverty; urban job and income losses due to COVID-19; systemic corruption

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $6.166 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $6 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $5.893 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024: 2.8% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 1.8% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 2.4% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024: $2,600 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $2,600 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $2,600 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.272 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 6.1% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 6.3% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 8.3% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 6.5% (2024 est.)
industry: 31% (2024 est.)
services: 48% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

92.9% (2023 est.)

government consumption

35.6% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

28.3% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-1.1% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services

42.9% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-98.6% (2023 est.)

Agricultural products

milk, potatoes, maize, vegetables, fruits, sorghum, wheat, game meat, beans, wool (2023)

Industries

food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism

Industrial production growth rate

2.6% (2024 est.)

Labor force

884,200 (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024: 16.2% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 16.5% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 16.7% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 24.2% (2024 est.)
male: 17.7% (2024 est.)
female: 36.2% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

49.7% (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017: 44.9 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.7% (2017 est.)
highest 10%: 32.9% (2017 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2024: 22% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 22.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 22.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Budget

revenues: $1.13 billion (2022 est.)
expenditures: $1.256 billion (2022 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2020: 3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

30.4% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2024: $84.393 million (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$151.577 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$268.876 million (2022 est.)

Exports

Exports 2024: $983.027 million (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $885.789 million (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $1.07 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners

South Africa 31%, Belgium 26%, USA 20%, UAE 8%, India 8% (2023)

Exports - commodities

diamonds, garments, wool, power equipment, bedding (2023)

Imports

Imports 2024: $2.083 billion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $2.077 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $2.247 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners

South Africa 78%, China 10%, Taiwan 3%, Japan 1%, India 1% (2023)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, fabric, trucks, garments, cotton fabric (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $1.008 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $854.089 million (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $771.278 million (2022 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023: $928.019 million (2023 est.)

Exchange rates

Currency

maloti (LSL) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

18.329 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

18.45 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

16.356 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

14.779 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

16.459 (2020 est.)

Energy6

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 50% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 83.6%
electrification - rural areas: 37.7%

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 104,000 kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 833.009 million kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 453.992 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 102.88 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 99.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal

production: 57,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 81,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 24,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 7,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 8.117 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications6

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 7,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 1.64 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 70 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations; most private broadcast media transmitters are connected to government radio signal towers; satellite TV subscription service available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters obtainable (2019)

Internet country code

.ls

Internet users

percent of population: 48% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 9,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1

Transportation2

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

34 (2025)

Military & Security6

Military and security forces

Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2024: 1.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 2,000 active Defense Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the LDF is lightly armed and has a small inventory of mostly older or secondhand equipment of European, South African, and US origin (2025)

Military service age and obligation

20-30 years of age for voluntary military service for both men and women (2026)

Military - note

the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) is responsible for the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; the LDF is a small force that began in 1964 as the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); the PMU was designated as the Lesotho Paramilitary Force in 1980 and became the Royal Lesotho Defense Force in 1986; it was renamed the Lesotho Defense Force in 1993 (2025)

Transnational Issues1

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 610 (2024 est.)

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