Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho
Lesotho: Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking was 86.9 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho, 2000–2023
Source: International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), UN Statistics Division, World Health Organization (WHO), and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 86.9 for share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho peaked at 86.9 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 46.5, in 2000.
Lesotho ranks 124th of 189 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 46.5 | — |
| 2001 | 50.3 | +8.2% |
| 2002 | 53.6 | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 56.8 | +6.0% |
| 2004 | 59.9 | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 62.5 | +4.3% |
| 2006 | 65.2 | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 67.1 | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 69.1 | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 70.9 | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 72.7 | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 74.2 | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 75.7 | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 77.3 | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 78.4 | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 79.6 | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 81 | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 82 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 83.1 | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 83.9 | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 84.8 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 85.6 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 86.4 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 86.9 | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 60.19 | 46.5 | 70.9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.79 | 72.7 | 83.9 | 10 |
| 2020s | 85.92 | 84.8 | 86.9 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More population data for Lesotho
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3315 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 190,191 people (2100)
- Population density 107.36 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6353 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.5533 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho?
- Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho was 86.9 in 2023, according to International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), UN Statistics Division, World Health Organization (WHO), and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 86.9 in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.5 in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking?
- Lesotho ranks 124th out of 189 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), UN Statistics Division, World Health Organization (WHO), and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Access to clean fuels or technologies such as natural gas, electricity, and clean cookstoves reduces exposure to indoor air pollutants, a leading cause of death in low-income households.