Annual growth rate of urban population share in Lesotho
Lesotho: Annual growth rate of urban population share was 2.21 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
2.21
Change on year
down 3.1%
World rank
5th
of 236 countries
All-time high
15.71
in 1959
All-time low
0.0456
in 1981
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Annual growth rate of urban population share in Lesotho, 1950–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 2.21 for annual growth rate of urban population share in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 49.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual growth rate of urban population share in Lesotho peaked at 15.71 in 1959 and was at its lowest, 0.0456, in 1981.
Lesotho ranks 5th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual growth rate of urban population share in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.36 | — |
| 1951 | 1.23 | -47.6% |
| 1952 | 2.71 | +120.0% |
| 1953 | 3.63 | +33.8% |
| 1954 | 4.28 | +17.7% |
| 1955 | 4.51 | +5.5% |
| 1956 | 7.16 | +58.7% |
| 1957 | 11.43 | +59.6% |
| 1958 | 14.91 | +30.5% |
| 1959 | 15.71 | +5.4% |
| 1960 | 15.3 | -2.6% |
| 1961 | 14.2 | -7.2% |
| 1962 | 12.75 | -10.2% |
| 1963 | 11.16 | -12.5% |
| 1964 | 9.49 | -14.9% |
| 1965 | 7.75 | -18.3% |
| 1966 | 6.77 | -12.6% |
| 1967 | 6.72 | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 6.72 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 6.38 | -5.1% |
| 1970 | 5.84 | -8.4% |
| 1971 | 5.15 | -11.8% |
| 1972 | 4.33 | -15.9% |
| 1973 | 3.4 | -21.4% |
| 1974 | 2.36 | -30.8% |
| 1975 | 1.15 | -51.0% |
| 1976 | 0.2439 | -78.9% |
| 1977 | 0.107 | -56.1% |
| 1978 | 0.0835 | -22.0% |
| 1979 | 0.0609 | -27.1% |
| 1980 | 0.0483 | -20.7% |
| 1981 | 0.0456 | -5.6% |
| 1982 | 0.0527 | +15.6% |
| 1983 | 0.0698 | +32.4% |
| 1984 | 0.0969 | +38.8% |
| 1985 | 0.1234 | +27.3% |
| 1986 | 0.7378 | +497.9% |
| 1987 | 2.09 | +183.3% |
| 1988 | 3.55 | +69.7% |
| 1989 | 4.43 | +24.9% |
| 1990 | 4.98 | +12.4% |
| 1991 | 5.22 | +4.8% |
| 1992 | 5.2 | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 4.97 | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 4.55 | -8.3% |
| 1995 | 4 | -12.2% |
| 1996 | 3.46 | -13.4% |
| 1997 | 3.19 | -7.8% |
| 1998 | 3.04 | -4.9% |
| 1999 | 2.94 | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 2.91 | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 2.92 | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 2.98 | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 3.09 | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 3.23 | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 3.38 | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 3.62 | +6.9% |
| 2007 | 3.84 | +6.1% |
| 2008 | 4.05 | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 4.2 | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 4.3 | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 4.36 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 4.39 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 4.39 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 4.37 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 4.41 | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 3.26 | -26.1% |
| 2017 | 2.83 | -13.2% |
| 2018 | 2.76 | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 2.67 | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 2.59 | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 2.51 | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 2.43 | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 2.35 | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 2.28 | -3.1% |
| 2025 | 2.21 | -3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.79 | 1.23 | 15.71 | 10 |
| 1960s | 9.72 | 6.38 | 15.3 | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.27 | 0.0609 | 5.84 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.12 | 0.0456 | 4.43 | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.16 | 2.94 | 5.22 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.42 | 2.91 | 4.2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.77 | 2.67 | 4.41 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.39 | 2.21 | 2.59 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 2 Burundi 3.12 compare
- 3 Papua New Guinea 2.45 compare
- 4 Chad 2.36 compare
- 6 Mozambique 2.16 compare
- 7 Burkina Faso 2.1 compare
- 8 Solomon Islands 2.06 compare
More population data for Lesotho
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3315 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6353 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.201 (2100)
- Population density 107.36 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 190,191 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.201 (2100)
- General government total expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 10.25 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual growth rate of urban population share in Lesotho?
- Annual growth rate of urban population share in Lesotho was 2.21 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual growth rate of urban population share recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 15.71 in 1959.
- What is the lowest annual growth rate of urban population share recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0456 in 1981.
- How does Lesotho rank for annual growth rate of urban population share?
- Lesotho ranks 5th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual growth rate of urban population share rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual growth rate of urban population share. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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