Botswana vs Lesotho: Total population
Botswana
2,542 thousands
in 2025
Lesotho
2,350 thousands
in 2025
Botswana rank
143rd
Lesotho rank
144th
Total population over time
- Botswana
- Lesotho
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 2,542 thousands against 2,350 thousands in Lesotho, a difference of 192 thousands.
That makes Botswana's figure about 1.1 times Lesotho's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Lesotho ahead.
Botswana ranks 143rd and Lesotho ranks 144th of 230 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 2 and Lesotho in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | Lesotho | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 701.19 thousands | 1,173 thousands | 472.05 thousands | Lesotho |
| 1980s | 1,085 thousands | 1,576 thousands | 491.14 thousands | Lesotho |
| 1990s | 1,458 thousands | 1,916 thousands | 458.52 thousands | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 1,811 thousands | 1,976 thousands | 165.51 thousands | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 2,170 thousands | 2,085 thousands | 84.59 thousands | Botswana |
| 2020s | 2,442 thousands | 2,286 thousands | 155.89 thousands | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, Botswana or Lesotho?
- Botswana, at 2,542 thousands against 2,350 thousands in Lesotho as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between Botswana and Lesotho?
- 192 thousands, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Botswana and Lesotho rank globally for total population?
- Botswana ranks 143rd and Lesotho ranks 144th of 230 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release