Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Lesotho
Lesotho: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 32.49 people per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
32.49 people per square kilometre
Change on year
up 3.6%
World rank
138th
of 215 countries
All-time high
32.49 people per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
1.06 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 32.49 people per square kilometre for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 53.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Lesotho peaked at 32.49 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.06 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Lesotho 138th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 square kilometre in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.06 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 1.25 people per square kilometre | +17.9% |
| 1963 | 1.45 people per square kilometre | +16.1% |
| 1964 | 1.66 people per square kilometre | +14.2% |
| 1965 | 1.86 people per square kilometre | +12.3% |
| 1966 | 2.06 people per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 1967 | 2.28 people per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 1968 | 2.54 people per square kilometre | +11.0% |
| 1969 | 2.81 people per square kilometre | +10.7% |
| 1970 | 3.1 people per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 1971 | 3.39 people per square kilometre | +9.5% |
| 1972 | 3.68 people per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 1973 | 3.96 people per square kilometre | +7.6% |
| 1974 | 4.22 people per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 1975 | 4.45 people per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1976 | 4.62 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1977 | 4.76 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1978 | 4.91 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1979 | 5.05 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 5.21 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1981 | 5.36 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 5.52 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 5.69 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 5.86 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 6.03 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 6.2 people per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 6.43 people per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 6.76 people per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1989 | 7.18 people per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 1990 | 7.68 people per square kilometre | +6.9% |
| 1991 | 8.23 people per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 1992 | 8.82 people per square kilometre | +7.1% |
| 1993 | 9.42 people per square kilometre | +6.8% |
| 1994 | 10.02 people per square kilometre | +6.3% |
| 1995 | 10.59 people per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1996 | 11.1 people per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 11.57 people per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 11.99 people per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 12.39 people per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 12.76 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 13.11 people per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 13.46 people per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 13.81 people per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 14.15 people per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 14.49 people per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 14.95 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 15.58 people per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 16.32 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 17.13 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 18.02 people per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 18.98 people per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 2012 | 20.03 people per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 2013 | 21.16 people per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 22.36 people per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 23.63 people per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 24.92 people per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 25.95 people per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 27.02 people per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 28.09 people per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 29.19 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 30.28 people per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 31.38 people per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 32.49 people per square kilometre | +3.6% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 32.49 people per square kilometre is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 33.53 people per square kilometre, 97% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 32.49 people per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.41 people per square kilometre, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.89 people per square kilometre | 1.06 people per square kilometre | 2.81 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.22 people per square kilometre | 3.1 people per square kilometre | 5.05 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.03 people per square kilometre | 5.21 people per square kilometre | 7.18 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.18 people per square kilometre | 7.68 people per square kilometre | 12.39 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.58 people per square kilometre | 12.76 people per square kilometre | 17.13 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.02 people per square kilometre | 18.02 people per square kilometre | 28.09 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.84 people per square kilometre | 29.19 people per square kilometre | 32.49 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 135 Georgia 33.29 people per square kilometre compare
- 136 South Africa 33.13 people per square kilometre compare
- 137 Cameroon 33.09 people per square kilometre compare
- 139 Bahamas 32.45 people per square kilometre compare
- 140 Bosnia and Herzegovina 32.08 people per square kilometre compare
- 141 Liberia 31.36 people per square kilometre 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 square kilometre in Lesotho?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Lesotho was 32.49 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 32.49 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.06 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Lesotho rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Lesotho ranks 138th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.5%. 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 square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), 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 ÷ Land area (sq. km)
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
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.