Lesotho vs South Africa: Prevalence of HIV, total
Lesotho
17.1%
in 2024
South Africa
17.2%
in 2024
Lesotho rank
3rd
South Africa rank
2nd
Prevalence of HIV, total over time
- Lesotho
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 17.2% against 17.1% in Lesotho, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 35 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Lesotho ahead.
Lesotho ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 2nd of 152 countries.
Lesotho has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lesotho | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.2% | 6.9% | 5.3% | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 23.3% | 15.8% | 7.5% | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 23.9% | 18.2% | 5.7% | Lesotho |
| 2020s | 18.9% | 17.9% | 1.0% | Lesotho |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prevalence of hiv, total, Lesotho or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 17.2% against 17.1% in Lesotho as of 2024.
- What is the difference in prevalence of hiv, total between Lesotho and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and South Africa?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2024.
- How do Lesotho and South Africa rank globally for prevalence of hiv, total?
- Lesotho ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 2nd of 152 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 15-49). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release