Population growth rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Population growth rate was 1.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population growth rate in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 1.1% for population growth rate in 2023.
That represents a change of up 3.6% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Lesotho peaked at 3.7% in 1967 and was at its lowest, -1.0%, in 2005.
Lesotho ranks 104th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth rate in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.8% | — |
| 1951 | 1.9% | +8.3% |
| 1952 | 2.0% | +5.6% |
| 1953 | 2.1% | +4.7% |
| 1954 | 2.2% | +5.1% |
| 1955 | 2.3% | +3.3% |
| 1956 | 2.4% | +3.5% |
| 1957 | 2.8% | +20.0% |
| 1958 | 2.9% | +2.1% |
| 1959 | 3.0% | +1.9% |
| 1960 | 3.0% | +0.9% |
| 1961 | 3.0% | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 3.0% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 3.0% | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 2.9% | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 2.9% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 3.5% | +18.5% |
| 1967 | 3.7% | +6.2% |
| 1968 | 3.6% | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 3.6% | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 3.6% | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 3.5% | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 3.5% | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 3.4% | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 3.5% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | -14.6% |
| 1977 | 2.8% | -4.6% |
| 1978 | 2.9% | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 2.9% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 2.9% | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 2.9% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 2.9% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 2.9% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 2.9% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 2.8% | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 2.3% | -19.7% |
| 1987 | 2.2% | -4.6% |
| 1988 | 2.1% | -3.8% |
| 1989 | 2.0% | -4.9% |
| 1990 | 1.8% | -6.4% |
| 1991 | 1.7% | -6.3% |
| 1992 | 1.6% | -7.9% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | -10.5% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | -10.4% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | -8.8% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | -16.8% |
| 1997 | 0.6% | -36.6% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | -38.3% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | -63.4% |
| 2000 | -0.1% | -151.1% |
| 2001 | -0.2% | +231.0% |
| 2002 | -0.4% | +63.0% |
| 2003 | -0.6% | +52.5% |
| 2004 | -0.8% | +41.3% |
| 2005 | -1.0% | +23.2% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | -119.3% |
| 2007 | 0.6% | +229.1% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | +9.9% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | +4.9% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | +7.7% |
| 2011 | 1.0% | +21.0% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | +7.4% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | +8.1% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 1.1% | -4.3% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | +6.2% |
| 2021 | 1.1% | -11.7% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | +3.6% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 1.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 66% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 1.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 48% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | -231.0% | -0.1% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | +229.1% | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| 2000 | -151.1% | 0.1% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | +119.3% | -1.0% | 0.2% |
| 1999 | -63.4% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| 2002 | -63.0% | -0.2% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.3% | 2.8% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.0% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.1% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.1% | -1.0% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 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 growth rate in Lesotho?
- Population growth rate in Lesotho was 1.1% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 1967.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.0% in 2005.
- How does Lesotho rank for population growth rate?
- Lesotho ranks 104th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 growth rate. 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
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.