Lesotho: Statistical Overview

Capital: Maseru

Population

Total Population: 2,363,325

Natural Increase: 1.1%

Density: 76 Inhabitants/km²

Urban Population: 44.7%

Ethnic Origins: The country consists mainly of Sotho, Zulu and Xhosa, with some ethnic minorities such as Afrikaners, Europeans, Asians and other ethnic groups.

Official Language: English

Other Languages Spoken: Sesotho (southern Sotho), English, Zulu, Xhosa, Phuthi

Business Language(s): English

Literacy Rate: 82.2%

Local Time:

It is %T:%M %A In Maseru

Country Overview

Area: 30,360 km²

Type of State: Constitutional democracy.

Type of Economy: Variable income, mixed economy based on resources and services.
Lesotho's economy is experiencing moderate growth, driven mainly by manufactured exports and diamond production, but faces high unemployment and a heavy dependence on South Africa.

HDI*: 0.550/1

HDI (World Rank): 167/192

Note: (*) The HDI, Human Development Index, measures a country's development in terms of quality of life. It mainly takes into account life expectancy, level of education and GDP per capita.

Telecommunication

Telephone Code:
To call from Lesotho, dial 00
To call Lesotho, dial +266

Internet Suffix: .ls

Households with a computer: 5.1 per 100 Inhabitants

Mobile phone subscriptions: 69.4 per 100 Inhabitants

Internet Users: 48.0 per 100 Inhabitants

Access to Electricity: 57.3% of the Population

Foreign Trade in Figures

Foreign Trade Indicators	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Imports of Goods (million USD)	1,824	1,856	1,724	1,853	1,875
Exports of Goods (million USD)	935	894	825	991	773
Imports of Services (million USD)	409	448	414	415	467
Exports of Services (million USD)	22	18	17	16	16

Source: WTO – World Trade Organisation, Latest data available.

See the latest updates in the Country Profile for Lesotho.

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