Lesotho vs South Africa
Lesotho vs South Africa: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 44.7% in Lesotho and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 19.2 percentage points, or 1.43 times that in Lesotho.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Lesotho ranked 169 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Lesotho at 65.5% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Lesotho | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44.7 | 63.8 |
| 2024 | 43.7 | 63.7 |
| 2023 | 42.7 | 63.6 |
| 2022 | 41.7 | 63.5 |
| 2021 | 40.7 | 63.5 |
| 2020 | 39.6 | 63.4 |
| 2019 | 38.6 | 63.4 |
| 2018 | 37.6 | 63.4 |
| 2017 | 36.5 | 63.3 |
| 2016 | 35.5 | 63.3 |
| 2015 | 34.1 | 63.2 |
| 2014 | 32.6 | 63.1 |
| 2013 | 31.2 | 63.1 |
| 2012 | 29.9 | 63 |
| 2011 | 28.6 | 62.9 |
| 2010 | 27.4 | 62.6 |
| 2009 | 26.3 | 62.3 |
| 2008 | 25.2 | 61.8 |
| 2007 | 24.2 | 61.2 |
| 2006 | 23.3 | 60.5 |
| 2005 | 22.5 | 59.8 |
| 2004 | 21.8 | 59.1 |
| 2003 | 21.1 | 58.4 |
| 2002 | 20.5 | 57.7 |
| 2001 | 19.9 | 57 |
| 2000 | 19.3 | 56.3 |
| 1999 | 18.8 | 55.4 |
| 1998 | 18.2 | 54.7 |
| 1997 | 17.7 | 54 |
| 1996 | 17.1 | 53.6 |
| 1995 | 16.5 | 53.3 |
| 1994 | 15.8 | 53.1 |
| 1993 | 15 | 52.9 |
| 1992 | 14.3 | 52.7 |
| 1991 | 13.6 | 52.4 |
| 1990 | 12.9 | 52 |
| 1989 | 12.3 | 51.4 |
| 1988 | 11.8 | 50.7 |
| 1987 | 11.5 | 50.1 |
| 1986 | 11.3 | 49.6 |
| 1985 | 11.3 | 49.2 |
| 1984 | 11.3 | 49 |
| 1983 | 11.3 | 48.8 |
| 1982 | 11.3 | 48.6 |
| 1981 | 11.2 | 48.5 |
| 1980 | 11.2 | 48.4 |
| 1979 | 11.2 | 48.3 |
| 1978 | 11.2 | 48.2 |
| 1977 | 11.2 | 48.2 |
| 1976 | 11.2 | 48.1 |
| 1975 | 11.1 | 48.1 |
| 1974 | 10.9 | 48 |
| 1973 | 10.6 | 48 |
| 1972 | 10.2 | 47.9 |
| 1971 | 9.7 | 47.9 |
| 1970 | 9.2 | 47.8 |
| 1969 | 8.7 | 47.7 |
| 1968 | 8.1 | 47.6 |
| 1967 | 7.6 | 47.5 |
| 1966 | 7.1 | 47.5 |
| 1965 | 6.6 | 47.4 |
| 1964 | 6.1 | 47.3 |
| 1963 | 5.5 | 47.1 |
| 1962 | 4.9 | 47 |
| 1961 | 4.2 | 46.9 |
| 1960 | 3.7 | 46.7 |
| 1959 | 3.1 | 46.5 |
| 1958 | 2.7 | 46.2 |
| 1957 | 2.3 | 45.8 |
| 1956 | 2.1 | 45.4 |
| 1955 | 2 | 44.9 |
| 1954 | 1.9 | 44.4 |
| 1953 | 1.9 | 43.9 |
| 1952 | 1.8 | 43.3 |
| 1951 | 1.8 | 42.7 |
| 1950 | 1.8 | 42.1 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Lesotho | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45.7 | 64 |
| 2027 | 46.6 | 64.1 |
| 2028 | 47.6 | 64.3 |
| 2029 | 48.5 | 64.5 |
| 2030 | 49.5 | 64.6 |
| 2031 | 50.4 | 64.8 |
| 2032 | 51.3 | 65.1 |
| 2033 | 52.3 | 65.3 |
| 2034 | 53.2 | 65.5 |
| 2035 | 54 | 65.8 |
| 2036 | 54.9 | 66.1 |
| 2037 | 55.8 | 66.3 |
| 2038 | 56.6 | 66.6 |
| 2039 | 57.4 | 66.9 |
| 2040 | 58.3 | 67.2 |
| 2041 | 59.1 | 67.6 |
| 2042 | 59.8 | 67.9 |
| 2043 | 60.6 | 68.2 |
| 2044 | 61.4 | 68.6 |
| 2045 | 62.1 | 69 |
| 2046 | 62.8 | 69.3 |
| 2047 | 63.5 | 69.7 |
| 2048 | 64.2 | 70.1 |
| 2049 | 64.9 | 70.5 |
| 2050 | 65.5 | 70.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Lesotho vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyLesotho: 57.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityLesotho: 6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityLesotho: 56.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionLesotho: 5.64% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateLesotho: 31.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationLesotho: 2.31 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthLesotho: 1.12% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateLesotho: 2.69 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageLesotho: 21.4 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overLesotho: 3.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateLesotho: -2.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingLesotho: 1.63% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsLesotho: $37.3M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personLesotho: $17 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingLesotho: 2.7% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelLesotho: 2,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerLesotho: 0.01% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersLesotho: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsLesotho: 1 million TIV in 2019South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025