Share of population living in urbanized areas in Lesotho
Lesotho: Share of population living in urbanized areas was 37.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
37.4%
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
172nd
of 202 countries
All-time high
37.4%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Lesotho, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 37.4% for share of population living in urbanized areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urbanized areas in Lesotho peaked at 37.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
Lesotho ranks 172nd of 202 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.2% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 0.2% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 0.2% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 0.2% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 0.2% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 0.2% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 0.9% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 0.9% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 1.0% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 1.1% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 1.2% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 1.3% | +9.5% |
| 1951 | 1.4% | +7.0% |
| 1952 | 1.5% | +7.1% |
| 1953 | 1.7% | +7.0% |
| 1954 | 1.8% | +7.0% |
| 1955 | 1.9% | +7.0% |
| 1956 | 2.1% | +8.5% |
| 1957 | 2.3% | +13.5% |
| 1958 | 2.7% | +13.5% |
| 1959 | 3.0% | +13.5% |
| 1960 | 3.4% | +13.4% |
| 1961 | 3.9% | +13.3% |
| 1962 | 4.4% | +13.3% |
| 1963 | 5.0% | +13.2% |
| 1964 | 5.6% | +13.1% |
| 1965 | 6.3% | +13.0% |
| 1966 | 7.1% | +11.4% |
| 1967 | 7.4% | +5.1% |
| 1968 | 7.8% | +5.1% |
| 1969 | 8.2% | +5.1% |
| 1970 | 8.6% | +5.0% |
| 1971 | 9.0% | +4.8% |
| 1972 | 9.4% | +4.7% |
| 1973 | 9.9% | +4.5% |
| 1974 | 10.3% | +4.6% |
| 1975 | 10.8% | +4.7% |
| 1976 | 11.2% | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 11.2% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 11.2% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 11.3% | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 11.3% | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 11.4% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 11.5% | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 11.5% | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 11.6% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 11.6% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 11.8% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 12.3% | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 12.7% | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 13.2% | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 13.7% | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 14.1% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 14.6% | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 15.2% | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 15.7% | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 16.3% | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 16.9% | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 17.5% | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 18.1% | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 18.6% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 19.2% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 20.0% | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 20.7% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 21.5% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 22.3% | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 23.0% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 23.8% | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 24.6% | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 25.3% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 26.1% | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 26.9% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 27.6% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 28.3% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 29.0% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 29.7% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 30.4% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 31.1% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 31.8% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 32.5% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 33.2% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 33.9% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 34.6% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 35.3% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 36.0% | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 36.7% | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 37.4% | +1.9% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 37.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 47.0%, 80% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 37.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 46.2%, 81% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urbanized areas in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1800s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1810s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1820s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1830s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1840s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1850s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1860s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1870s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1880s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1890s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1900s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1910s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1920s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1930s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1940s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1950s | 2.0% | 1.3% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.9% | 3.4% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.3% | 8.6% | 11.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.9% | 11.3% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.1% | 13.7% | 18.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.7% | 19.2% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.1% | 26.9% | 33.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.7% | 33.9% | 37.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 169 Antigua and Barbuda 38.5% compare
- 169 Saint Kitts and Nevis 38.5% compare
- 171 East Timor 37.6% compare
- 173 Bangladesh 37.4% compare
- 174 Chad 37.0% compare
- 175 Burkina Faso 36.8% 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)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 107.36 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 190,191 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 3.4 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urbanized areas in Lesotho?
- Share of population living in urbanized areas in Lesotho was 37.4% in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 37.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Lesotho rank for share of population living in urbanized areas?
- Lesotho ranks 172nd out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urbanized areas rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urbanized areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of population living in urban areas in a country over time.