Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Lesotho
Lesotho: Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre was 43.64 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
43.64 units per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
78th
of 215 countries
All-time high
53.92 units per square kilometre
in 1997
All-time low
23.93 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Lesotho stood at 43.64 units per square kilometre.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Lesotho peaked at 53.92 units per square kilometre in 1997 and was at its lowest, 23.93 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
Lesotho ranks 78th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 23.93 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 24.5 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 25.08 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 25.66 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 26.27 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1966 | 26.98 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1967 | 27.82 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1968 | 28.69 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1969 | 29.58 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1970 | 30.48 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 31.4 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 32.35 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 33.35 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 34.39 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 35.52 units per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1976 | 36.66 units per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1977 | 37.73 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 38.81 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 39.95 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 41.12 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 42.33 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 43.58 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 44.85 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 46.15 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 47.47 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 48.68 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 49.68 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 50.54 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 51.3 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 51.93 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 52.45 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 52.88 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 53.22 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 53.48 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 53.69 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 53.86 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 53.92 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 53.82 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 53.6 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 53.25 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 52.79 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 52.24 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 51.57 units per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 50.77 units per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 49.84 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 49.12 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 48.76 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 48.45 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 48.11 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 47.74 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 47.36 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 46.97 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 46.58 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 46.15 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 45.69 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 45.26 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 45.1 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 44.9 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 44.68 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 44.45 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 44.21 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 43.92 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 43.64 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 43.64 units per square kilometre is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 43.64 units per square kilometre, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 43.64 units per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 36.51 units per square kilometre, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 26.5 units per square kilometre | 23.93 units per square kilometre | 29.58 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 35.06 units per square kilometre | 30.48 units per square kilometre | 39.95 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.57 units per square kilometre | 41.12 units per square kilometre | 51.3 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.29 units per square kilometre | 51.93 units per square kilometre | 53.92 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.49 units per square kilometre | 48.11 units per square kilometre | 53.25 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.04 units per square kilometre | 44.68 units per square kilometre | 47.74 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.06 units per square kilometre | 43.64 units per square kilometre | 44.45 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 75 American Samoa 44.26 units per square kilometre compare
- 76 Portugal 44.17 units per square kilometre compare
- 77 Germany 43.79 units per square kilometre compare
- 79 Albania 42.88 units per square kilometre compare
- 80 Senegal 42.54 units per square kilometre compare
- 81 Guinea-Bissau 41.66 units per square kilometre 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 urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Lesotho?
- Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Lesotho was 43.64 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 53.92 units per square kilometre in 1997.
- What is the lowest urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.93 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Lesotho rank for urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre?
- Lesotho ranks 78th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Urban and rural population 2050 divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Urban and rural population 2050 ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Urban and rural population projected to 2050 HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Urban and rural population 2050 divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.