LSO · LS · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
Lesotho
Lesotho had a population of 2,389,336 people in 2026, ranking 147 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 2,389,336 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #147/ 237 Africa #45 / 58
- Share of world population
- 0.03% 2026
- Density
- 78.7 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 22.1 years
- Life expectancy
- 58.63 years
Country or area overview
Lesotho is in Africa. In 2026, its population was 2,389,336 people, about 0.03% of the world total. It ranks #147 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 579,551 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 3,259,299 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is 1.10%. The median age is 22.1. 33.6% of the population is under 15 and 3.9% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 58.63 and the total fertility rate is 2.61. Within Africa, it ranks #45 of 58 by population and #28 of 58 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
Lesotho map
Country outline and its location in the world.
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 131,236 | 128,976 | 260,212 | 10.89% |
| 5–9 | 135,611 | 133,678 | 269,289 | 11.27% |
| 10–14 | 137,630 | 136,449 | 274,079 | 11.47% |
| 15–19 | 125,316 | 124,736 | 250,052 | 10.47% |
| 20–24 | 113,258 | 113,410 | 226,668 | 9.49% |
| 25–29 | 100,559 | 102,350 | 202,909 | 8.49% |
| 30–34 | 96,320 | 99,665 | 195,985 | 8.20% |
| 35–39 | 94,211 | 99,262 | 193,473 | 8.10% |
| 40–44 | 73,460 | 79,782 | 153,242 | 6.41% |
| 45–49 | 49,592 | 54,705 | 104,297 | 4.37% |
| 50–54 | 32,161 | 35,102 | 67,263 | 2.82% |
| 55–59 | 24,192 | 28,859 | 53,051 | 2.22% |
| 60–64 | 19,021 | 26,576 | 45,597 | 1.91% |
| 65–69 | 14,587 | 22,497 | 37,084 | 1.55% |
| 70–74 | 9,017 | 16,267 | 25,284 | 1.06% |
| 75–79 | 4,977 | 10,787 | 15,764 | 0.66% |
| 80–84 | 2,587 | 6,068 | 8,655 | 0.36% |
| 85–89 | 1,286 | 3,340 | 4,626 | 0.19% |
| 90–94 | 398 | 1,107 | 1,505 | 0.06% |
| 95–99 | 62 | 212 | 274 | 0.01% |
| 100+ | 4 | 24 | 28 | 0.00% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,389,336 people | 3,259,299 people | people |
| Male population | 1,165,485 people | 1,585,637 people | people |
| Female population | 1,223,851 people | 1,673,662 people | people |
| Population density | 78.7 people/km² | 107.4 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 95.2 | 94.7 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 22.1 | 38.7 | years |
| Natural change | 31,041 | -3,687 | people |
| Natural change rate | 12.99 ‰ | -1.13 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | 26,168 | -6,548 | people |
| Population growth rate | 1.10% | -0.20% | % |
| Population doubling time | 63.3 | — | years |
| Births | 55,312 people | 38,011 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 8,543 | 1,721 | people |
| Birth rate | 23.15 ‰ | 11.66 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 2.61 | 1.80 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 1.146 | 0.873 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 27.84 | 29.69 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 102.8 | 102.8 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 24,271 people | 41,698 people | people |
| Male deaths | 12,475 | 21,335 | people |
| Female deaths | 11,796 | 20,363 | people |
| Death rate | 10.16 ‰ | 12.79 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 58.63 | 74.68 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 55.85 | 71.68 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 61.29 | 77.72 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 48.27 | 60.72 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 13.01 | 16.22 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 6.58 | 7.50 | years |
| Infant deaths | 2,839 | 382 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 51.28 ‰ | 10.06 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 53,050 | 37,678 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 3,606 | 458 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 65.18 ‰ | 12.02 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | -4,876 | -2,858 | people |
| Net migration rate | -2.04 ‰ | -0.88 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Lesotho?
- In 2026, Lesotho had a population of 2,389,336 people. It ranks #147 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of Lesotho changed?
- The population was 579,551 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 3,259,299 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of Lesotho?
- The median age is 22.1. 33.6% of the population is under 15 and 3.9% is 65 or older.
- How does Lesotho compare within Africa?
- By total population, Lesotho ranks #45 of 58 in Africa and #147 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.