Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 90.94 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
90.94 thousands
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
157th
of 233 countries
All-time high
92.49 thousands
in 2003
All-time low
40.19 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Lesotho, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population aged 65 years or older in Lesotho is 90.94 thousands, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Lesotho peaked at 92.49 thousands in 2003 and was at its lowest, 40.19 thousands, in 1970.
That places Lesotho 157th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 40.19 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 41 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 41.8 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 42.64 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 43.55 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 44.54 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 45.71 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 47.01 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 48.47 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 50.12 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 51.96 thousands | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 54 thousands | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 56.22 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1983 | 58.56 thousands | +4.2% |
| 1984 | 60.98 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1985 | 63.44 thousands | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 65.85 thousands | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 68.03 thousands | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 70.14 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 72.15 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 74.09 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 75.93 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 77.69 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 79.42 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 81.09 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 82.7 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 84.23 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 85.69 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 87.26 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 88.79 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 90.18 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 91.34 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 92.13 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 92.49 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 92.45 thousands | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 92.09 thousands | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 91.4 thousands | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 90.3 thousands | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 88.79 thousands | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 87.05 thousands | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 85.32 thousands | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 83.75 thousands | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 82.5 thousands | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 81.68 thousands | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 81.61 thousands | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 82.3 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 81.82 thousands | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 81.79 thousands | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 82.18 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 82.96 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 84.07 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 85.35 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 85.85 thousands | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 87.57 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 89.34 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 90.94 thousands | +1.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 90.94 thousands is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 516.96 thousands, 18% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 90.94 thousands is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 448.46 thousands, 20% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 44.5 thousands | 40.19 thousands | 50.12 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 62.13 thousands | 51.96 thousands | 72.15 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 81.69 thousands | 74.09 thousands | 88.79 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 90.82 thousands | 87.05 thousands | 92.49 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.59 thousands | 81.61 thousands | 85.32 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 87.19 thousands | 84.07 thousands | 90.94 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 154 Gabon 105.32 thousands compare
- 155 Botswana 103.2 thousands compare
- 156 Guadeloupe 90.97 thousands compare
- 158 Martinique 88.12 thousands compare
- 159 Gambia 87.34 thousands compare
- 160 East Timor 74.02 thousands 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 population aged 65 years or older in Lesotho?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Lesotho was 90.94 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 92.49 thousands in 2003.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.19 thousands in 1970.
- How does Lesotho rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Lesotho ranks 157th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release