Share of population living in the capital city in Lesotho
Lesotho: Share of population living in the capital city was 12.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in the capital city in Lesotho, 1980–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in the capital city in Lesotho is 12.4%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of up 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Lesotho peaked at 12.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 1980.
That places Lesotho 113th out of 170 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of population living in the capital city in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 5.6% | — |
| 1985 | 8.8% | +58.5% |
| 1990 | 9.7% | +9.8% |
| 1995 | 10.4% | +6.9% |
| 2000 | 10.6% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 10.9% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 11.0% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 11.1% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 12.4% | +11.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.2% | 5.6% | 8.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 10.0% | 9.7% | 10.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 10.8% | 10.6% | 10.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 11.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 12.4% | 12.4% | 12.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 110 Tajikistan 13.4% compare
- 111 Afghanistan 13.4% compare
- 112 Cambodia 13.3% compare
- 114 Madagascar 12.2% compare
- 115 Zimbabwe 12.1% compare
- 116 Belgium 12.0% 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 share of population living in the capital city in Lesotho?
- Share of population living in the capital city in Lesotho was 12.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 12.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 1980.
- How does Lesotho rank for share of population living in the capital city?
- Lesotho ranks 113th out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in the capital city 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 European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.