Prison population rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Prison population rate was 117 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2025. ▼ Falling
Prison population rate in Lesotho, 2000–2025
Source: Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in prisoners per 100,000 people.
Analysis
In 2025, prison population rate in Lesotho stood at 117 prisoners per 100,000 people.
That represents a change of up 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison population rate in Lesotho peaked at 173 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2002 and was at its lowest, 102 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 2014.
That places Lesotho 132nd out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Prison population rate in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | prisoners per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 143 prisoners per 100,000 people | — |
| 2002 | 173 prisoners per 100,000 people | +21.0% |
| 2004 | 158 prisoners per 100,000 people | -8.7% |
| 2006 | 126 prisoners per 100,000 people | -20.3% |
| 2008 | 130 prisoners per 100,000 people | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 125 prisoners per 100,000 people | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 127 prisoners per 100,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 102 prisoners per 100,000 people | -19.7% |
| 2017 | 115 prisoners per 100,000 people | +12.7% |
| 2025 | 117 prisoners per 100,000 people | +1.7% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 117 prisoners per 100,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 106 prisoners per 100,000 people, 1.1× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 117 prisoners per 100,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 90 prisoners per 100,000 people, 1.3× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 146 prisoners per 100,000 people | 126 prisoners per 100,000 people | 173 prisoners per 100,000 people | 5 |
| 2010s | 117.25 prisoners per 100,000 people | 102 prisoners per 100,000 people | 127 prisoners per 100,000 people | 4 |
| 2020s | 117 prisoners per 100,000 people | 117 prisoners per 100,000 people | 117 prisoners per 100,000 people | 1 |
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 prison population rate in Lesotho?
- Prison population rate in Lesotho was 117 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2025, according to Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest prison population rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 173 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2002.
- What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 102 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2014.
- How does Lesotho rank for prison population rate?
- Lesotho ranks 132nd out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is prison population rate rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Prison population rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Prison population (including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners), per 100,000 population.