Botswana vs Lesotho: Population by income level
Botswana
2.56 million
in 2025
Lesotho
2.36 million
in 2025
Botswana rank
143rd
Lesotho rank
144th
Population by income level over time
- Botswana
- Lesotho
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 2.56 million against 2.36 million in Lesotho, a difference of 198,800.
That makes Botswana's figure about 1.1 times Lesotho's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Lesotho ahead.
Botswana ranks 143rd and Lesotho ranks 144th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 2 and Lesotho in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | Lesotho | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 560,802 | 849,320 | 288,518 | Lesotho |
| 1970s | 718,052 | 1.19 million | 474,441 | Lesotho |
| 1980s | 1.10 million | 1.60 million | 493,385 | Lesotho |
| 1990s | 1.48 million | 1.93 million | 450,515 | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 1.83 million | 1.98 million | 147,094 | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 2.19 million | 2.10 million | 89,767 | Botswana |
| 2020s | 2.46 million | 2.30 million | 162,522 | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population by income level, Botswana or Lesotho?
- Botswana, at 2.56 million against 2.36 million in Lesotho as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population by income level between Botswana and Lesotho?
- 198,800, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Botswana and Lesotho rank globally for population by income level?
- Botswana ranks 143rd and Lesotho ranks 144th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Population by income level. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.