Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. GDP per capita in Lesotho
Lesotho: Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. GDP per capita was 37.7% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. GDP per capita in Lesotho, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 37.7% for share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho peaked at 37.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 13.5%, in 1950.
That places Lesotho 220th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. GDP per capita in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 13.5% | — |
| 1955 | 14.4% | +6.3% |
| 1960 | 15.7% | +8.9% |
| 1965 | 17.2% | +9.9% |
| 1970 | 19.2% | +11.6% |
| 1975 | 21.4% | +11.4% |
| 1980 | 27.2% | +26.8% |
| 1985 | 30.2% | +11.3% |
| 1990 | 34.3% | +13.5% |
| 1995 | 36.0% | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 37.8% | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 36.7% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 36.6% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 37.1% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 37.7% | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 14.0% | 13.5% | 14.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 16.5% | 15.7% | 17.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 20.3% | 19.2% | 21.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 28.7% | 27.2% | 30.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 35.2% | 34.3% | 36.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 37.2% | 36.7% | 37.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 36.9% | 36.6% | 37.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 37.7% | 37.7% | 37.7% | 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 share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho was 37.7% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 37.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.5% in 1950.
- How does Lesotho rank for share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita?
- Lesotho ranks 220th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. 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 major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.