Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Lesotho
Lesotho: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita was 0.4467 people per person in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Lesotho, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per person.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 0.4467 people per person for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 31.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Lesotho peaked at 0.4467 people per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0366 people per person, in 1960.
That places Lesotho 163rd out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | people per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.0366 people per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.0424 people per person | +16.0% |
| 1962 | 0.0486 people per person | +14.5% |
| 1963 | 0.0547 people per person | +12.7% |
| 1964 | 0.0607 people per person | +10.9% |
| 1965 | 0.0662 people per person | +9.0% |
| 1966 | 0.071 people per person | +7.3% |
| 1967 | 0.0759 people per person | +6.9% |
| 1968 | 0.0812 people per person | +7.0% |
| 1969 | 0.0868 people per person | +6.8% |
| 1970 | 0.0922 people per person | +6.3% |
| 1971 | 0.0975 people per person | +5.7% |
| 1972 | 0.1022 people per person | +4.9% |
| 1973 | 0.1062 people per person | +4.0% |
| 1974 | 0.1094 people per person | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 0.1113 people per person | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 0.112 people per person | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 0.1121 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 0.1122 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 0.1123 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 0.1124 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 0.1124 people per person | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.1125 people per person | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.1125 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 0.1126 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 0.1128 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 0.113 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 0.1146 people per person | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 0.118 people per person | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 0.1229 people per person | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 0.1288 people per person | +4.9% |
| 1991 | 0.1356 people per person | +5.3% |
| 1992 | 0.1429 people per person | +5.4% |
| 1993 | 0.1504 people per person | +5.2% |
| 1994 | 0.1578 people per person | +4.9% |
| 1995 | 0.1647 people per person | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 0.1709 people per person | +3.8% |
| 1997 | 0.1766 people per person | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 0.1822 people per person | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 0.1877 people per person | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 0.1933 people per person | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 0.199 people per person | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 0.2049 people per person | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 0.2112 people per person | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 0.218 people per person | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 0.2253 people per person | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 0.2333 people per person | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 0.2422 people per person | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 0.252 people per person | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 0.2626 people per person | +4.2% |
| 2010 | 0.274 people per person | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 0.2862 people per person | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 0.299 people per person | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 0.3124 people per person | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 0.3264 people per person | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 0.3409 people per person | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 0.3551 people per person | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 0.3653 people per person | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 0.3757 people per person | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 0.386 people per person | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 0.3963 people per person | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 0.4066 people per person | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 0.4167 people per person | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 0.4268 people per person | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 0.4368 people per person | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 0.4467 people per person | +2.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 0.4467 people per person is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.5087 people per person, 88% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 0.4467 people per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.4552 people per person, 98% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0624 people per person | 0.0366 people per person | 0.0868 people per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1067 people per person | 0.0922 people per person | 0.1123 people per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1144 people per person | 0.1124 people per person | 0.1229 people per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1598 people per person | 0.1288 people per person | 0.1877 people per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2242 people per person | 0.1933 people per person | 0.2626 people per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3321 people per person | 0.274 people per person | 0.386 people per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4216 people per person | 0.3963 people per person | 0.4467 people per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 160 Sierra Leone 0.4593 people per person compare
- 161 Zambia 0.4592 people per person compare
- 162 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 0.4511 people per person compare
- 164 Central African Republic 0.4455 people per person compare
- 165 Bhutan 0.4343 people per person compare
- 166 Egypt 0.429 people per person 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 number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Lesotho?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Lesotho was 0.4467 people per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4467 people per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0366 people per person in 1960.
- How does Lesotho rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita?
- Lesotho ranks 163rd out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.