Botswana vs Lesotho: Population: comparison of UN projections

Botswana
2.48 million people
in 2023
Lesotho
2.31 million people
in 2023
Botswana rank
146th
Lesotho rank
147th

Population: comparison of UN projections over time

  • Botswana
  • Lesotho
500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M195019862023

How they compare

Botswana currently reports 2.48 million people against 2.31 million people in Lesotho, a difference of 168,760 people.

That makes Botswana's figure about 1.1 times Lesotho's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Lesotho ahead.

Botswana ranks 146th and Lesotho ranks 147th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 2 and Lesotho in 6.

Head to head by decade

Decade Botswana Lesotho Difference Ahead
1950s 458,954 people 639,760 people 180,806 people Lesotho
1960s 560,811 people 849,324 people 288,513 people Lesotho
1970s 718,061 people 1.19 million people 474,436 people Lesotho
1980s 1.10 million people 1.60 million people 493,380 people Lesotho
1990s 1.48 million people 1.93 million people 450,512 people Lesotho
2000s 1.83 million people 1.98 million people 147,097 people Lesotho
2010s 2.19 million people 2.10 million people 89,764 people Botswana
2020s 2.42 million people 2.27 million people 148,155 people Botswana

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population: comparison of un projections, Botswana or Lesotho?
Botswana, at 2.48 million people against 2.31 million people in Lesotho as of 2023.
What is the difference in population: comparison of un projections between Botswana and Lesotho?
168,760 people, with Botswana ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?
74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
How do Botswana and Lesotho rank globally for population: comparison of un projections?
Botswana ranks 146th and Lesotho ranks 147th of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Population: comparison of UN projections. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Population: comparison of UN projections
Unit
people
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.