Population by income level in Lesotho

Lesotho: Population by income level was 2.36 million in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
2.36 million
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
144th
of 215 countries
All-time high
2.36 million
in 2025
All-time low
736,500
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Population by income level in Lesotho, 1960–2025

500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M196019922025

Source: United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, population by income level in Lesotho stood at 2.36 million. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.

The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 12.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population by income level in Lesotho peaked at 2.36 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 736,500, in 1960.

Lesotho ranks 144th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 849,320 736,500 983,202 10
1970s 1.19 million 1.02 million 1.37 million 10
1980s 1.60 million 1.41 million 1.78 million 10
1990s 1.93 million 1.81 million 2.00 million 10
2000s 1.98 million 1.95 million 2.00 million 10
2010s 2.10 million 2.00 million 2.21 million 10
2020s 2.30 million 2.24 million 2.36 million 6

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 141 Gambia 2.82 million compare
  2. 142 Gabon 2.59 million compare
  3. 143 Botswana 2.56 million compare
  4. 145 Moldova 2.36 million compare
  5. 146 Albania 2.35 million compare
  6. 147 Guinea-Bissau 2.25 million compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More population data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is population by income level in Lesotho?
Population by income level in Lesotho was 2.36 million in 2025, according to United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest population by income level recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 2.36 million in 2025.
What is the lowest population by income level recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 736,500 in 1960.
How does Lesotho rank for population by income level?
Lesotho ranks 144th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
Is population by income level rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population by income level. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Population by income level
Source
United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 14,160 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Total population, differentiated by World Bank income level.