Lesotho: key statistics
Sub-Saharan Africa · Lower middle income · capital Maseru
Lesotho has a GDP of $2.3B and a GDP per capita of $972, with a population of about 2.3 million (World Bank, latest available year). Life expectancy is 57.8 years. Among countries with data, Lesotho ranks #187 of 214 by GDP, #199 of 214 by GDP per capita, #146 of 217 by population. Full indicator table, peer countries and head-to-head comparisons are below.
Source: World Bank Open Data. Data as of June 2026.
Lesotho at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) | $2.3B | 2024 |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | $972 | 2024 |
| Population, total | 2,337,423 | 2024 |
| Population growth (annual %) | 1.1% | 2024 |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 2.9% | 2024 |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) | 6.1% | 2024 |
| Unemployment, total (% of labour force, modelled ILO) | 16.3% | 2025 |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 57.8 | 2024 |
| Individuals using the Internet (% of population) | 51.8% | 2024 |
| Urban population (% of total) | 43.7% | 2024 |
| CO2 emissions per capita (tonnes) | 0.43 | 2024 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). Data as of June 2026.
Each value is the most-recent year the World Bank reports for Lesotho (the year column), so figures are not all from the same year. A dash (—) means no value is reported.
How Lesotho ranks
- GDP: #187 of 214 ($2.3B)
- GDP per capita: #199 of 214 ($972)
- Population: #146 of 217 (2.3 million)
- Life expectancy: #213 of 217 (57.8 years)
Lesotho vs its peers
The 6 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the closest GDP per capita to Lesotho:
| Country | GDP per capita | Population | Life expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesotho (this country) | $972 | 2.3 million | 57.8 |
| Burkina Faso | $982 | 23.5 million | 61.3 |
| Chad | $962 | 20.3 million | 55.2 |
| Sudan | $985 | 50.4 million | 66.5 |
| Rwanda | $1,000 | 14.3 million | 68.0 |
| Guinea-Bissau | $1,008 | 2.2 million | 64.3 |
| Gambia, The | $871 | 2.8 million | 66.1 |
See every country in this region on the Sub-Saharan Africa hub.
Compare Lesotho head to head
Frequently asked questions
What is the GDP of Lesotho?
Lesotho's GDP is $2.3B (2024) in current US dollars (World Bank). GDP per capita is $972 (2024). That ranks Lesotho #187 of 214 economies with reported GDP.
What is the population of Lesotho?
Lesotho has a population of about 2.3 million (2024), per World Bank data. It is the #146 most populous of 217 countries.
What region and income group is Lesotho in?
The World Bank places Lesotho in the Sub-Saharan Africa region and classifies it as a lower middle income economy. Its capital is Maseru.
How long do people live in Lesotho?
Life expectancy at birth in Lesotho is 57.8 years (2024, World Bank). That ranks #213 of 217.
Sources & notes
Data: World Bank Open Data, Indicators API (CC BY 4.0), retrieved June 2026. Values are each indicator's most-recent non-empty year for Lesotho, so the reference year varies by indicator (shown in the table). Figures are nominal (current US$) unless noted; see our methodology. Browse all 217 countries.
Last updated: 2026-06-20