Population by age group in Lesotho
Lesotho: Population by age group was 266,337 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
266,337 people
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
133rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
294,002 people
in 1991
All-time low
108,504 people
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Population by age group in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, population by age group in Lesotho stood at 266,337 people.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population by age group in Lesotho peaked at 294,002 people in 1991 and was at its lowest, 108,504 people, in 1950.
Lesotho ranks 133rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Population by age group in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 108,504 people | — |
| 1951 | 109,075 people | +0.5% |
| 1952 | 109,787 people | +0.7% |
| 1953 | 110,063 people | +0.3% |
| 1954 | 109,519 people | -0.5% |
| 1955 | 110,858 people | +1.2% |
| 1956 | 114,542 people | +3.3% |
| 1957 | 118,466 people | +3.4% |
| 1958 | 122,519 people | +3.4% |
| 1959 | 126,468 people | +3.2% |
| 1960 | 130,338 people | +3.1% |
| 1961 | 134,144 people | +2.9% |
| 1962 | 137,858 people | +2.8% |
| 1963 | 141,460 people | +2.6% |
| 1964 | 144,974 people | +2.5% |
| 1965 | 148,529 people | +2.5% |
| 1966 | 152,410 people | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 156,096 people | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 159,591 people | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 163,441 people | +2.4% |
| 1970 | 167,465 people | +2.5% |
| 1971 | 171,768 people | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 176,462 people | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 181,604 people | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 187,524 people | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 194,520 people | +3.7% |
| 1976 | 202,557 people | +4.1% |
| 1977 | 211,260 people | +4.3% |
| 1978 | 220,205 people | +4.2% |
| 1979 | 228,978 people | +4.0% |
| 1980 | 237,102 people | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 244,406 people | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 251,076 people | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 257,321 people | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 263,186 people | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 268,790 people | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 274,937 people | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 281,412 people | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 286,836 people | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 290,805 people | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 293,200 people | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 294,002 people | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 292,574 people | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 289,025 people | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 284,583 people | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 280,097 people | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 276,116 people | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 272,758 people | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 269,694 people | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 266,343 people | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 262,675 people | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 259,217 people | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 256,541 people | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 254,929 people | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 253,864 people | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 252,611 people | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 252,092 people | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 252,902 people | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 254,483 people | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 256,924 people | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 260,200 people | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 264,892 people | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 269,871 people | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 273,941 people | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 277,767 people | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 281,335 people | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 283,676 people | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 284,383 people | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 283,732 people | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 281,728 people | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 278,781 people | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 274,822 people | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 270,300 people | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 266,337 people | -1.5% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 266,337 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.25 million people, 21% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 266,337 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.19 million people, 12% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 113,980 people | 108,504 people | 126,468 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 146,884 people | 130,338 people | 163,441 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 194,234 people | 167,465 people | 228,978 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 265,587 people | 237,102 people | 290,805 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 281,839 people | 266,343 people | 294,002 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 255,624 people | 252,092 people | 262,675 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 276,152 people | 260,200 people | 284,383 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 272,560 people | 266,337 people | 278,781 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
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 by age group in Lesotho?
- Population by age group in Lesotho was 266,337 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population by age group recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 294,002 people in 1991.
- What is the lowest population by age group recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 108,504 people in 1950.
- How does Lesotho rank for population by age group?
- Lesotho ranks 133rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population by age group rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population by age group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 0-4.