Lesotho
Population growth in Lesotho
Population growth in Lesotho: 1.76% a year in 1950 and 1.12% a year in 2023, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2023
- 1.12% a year
- Since 1950
- −0.64 percentage points
- Rank, 2023
- 99 of 229
- counting from the highest
- World, 2023
- 0.87% a year
- Projected, 2100
- -0.2% a year
- UN projection (medium variant)
% a year · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (medium variant) puts it at -0.2% a year in 2100, between -4.23% a year and 2.31% a year (95% prediction interval).
- The highest was 3.68% a year in 1967, the lowest -1.02% a year in 2005.
Every year
% a year · UN
| Year | Lesotho | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1.12 | 0.87 |
| 2022 | 1.08 | 0.88 |
| 2021 | 1.08 | 0.8 |
| 2020 | 1.22 | 0.9 |
| 2019 | 1.15 | 1.03 |
| 2018 | 1.2 | 1.07 |
| 2017 | 1.24 | 1.13 |
| 2016 | 1.25 | 1.17 |
| 2015 | 1.19 | 1.18 |
| 2014 | 1.16 | 1.22 |
| 2013 | 1.13 | 1.23 |
| 2012 | 1.04 | 1.27 |
| 2011 | 0.97 | 1.26 |
| 2010 | 0.8 | 1.27 |
| 2009 | 0.74 | 1.28 |
| 2008 | 0.71 | 1.28 |
| 2007 | 0.65 | 1.28 |
| 2006 | 0.2 | 1.28 |
| 2005 | -1.02 | 1.27 |
| 2004 | -0.83 | 1.28 |
| 2003 | -0.58 | 1.29 |
| 2002 | -0.38 | 1.3 |
| 2001 | -0.24 | 1.33 |
| 2000 | -0.07 | 1.35 |
| 1999 | 0.14 | 1.35 |
| 1998 | 0.38 | 1.37 |
| 1997 | 0.62 | 1.39 |
| 1996 | 0.97 | 1.42 |
| 1995 | 1.17 | 1.45 |
| 1994 | 1.28 | 1.47 |
| 1993 | 1.43 | 1.52 |
| 1992 | 1.6 | 1.57 |
| 1991 | 1.73 | 1.63 |
| 1990 | 1.85 | 1.76 |
| 1989 | 1.98 | 1.78 |
| 1988 | 2.08 | 1.79 |
| 1987 | 2.16 | 1.84 |
| 1986 | 2.26 | 1.83 |
| 1985 | 2.82 | 1.8 |
| 1984 | 2.85 | 1.8 |
| 1983 | 2.88 | 1.78 |
| 1982 | 2.9 | 1.86 |
| 1981 | 2.91 | 1.82 |
| 1980 | 2.91 | 1.8 |
| 1979 | 2.91 | 1.79 |
| 1978 | 2.87 | 1.74 |
| 1977 | 2.82 | 1.75 |
| 1976 | 2.96 | 1.78 |
| 1975 | 3.47 | 1.8 |
| 1974 | 3.45 | 1.88 |
| 1973 | 3.45 | 1.94 |
| 1972 | 3.49 | 1.97 |
| 1971 | 3.54 | 1.97 |
| 1970 | 3.59 | 2.06 |
| 1969 | 3.62 | 2.06 |
| 1968 | 3.65 | 2.09 |
| 1967 | 3.68 | 2 |
| 1966 | 3.47 | 2.04 |
| 1965 | 2.93 | 2.09 |
| 1964 | 2.93 | 2.16 |
| 1963 | 2.96 | 2.28 |
| 1962 | 2.98 | 2.11 |
| 1961 | 2.99 | 1.67 |
| 1960 | 2.98 | 1.58 |
| 1959 | 2.96 | 1.73 |
| 1958 | 2.9 | 2 |
| 1957 | 2.84 | 2.07 |
| 1956 | 2.37 | 1.98 |
| 1955 | 2.29 | 2.01 |
| 1954 | 2.21 | 1.99 |
| 1953 | 2.11 | 1.9 |
| 1952 | 2.01 | 1.94 |
| 1951 | 1.91 | 1.75 |
| 1950 | 1.76 | 1.74 |
UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100
| Year | Lesotho | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1.110.49–1.74 | 0.86 |
| 2025 | 1.090.33–1.87 | 0.84 |
| 2026 | 1.10.23–1.98 | 0.83 |
| 2027 | 1.070.13–2.05 | 0.81 |
| 2028 | 1.080.03–2.07 | 0.8 |
| 2029 | 1.06-0.05–2.09 | 0.78 |
| 2030 | 1.04-0.11–2.14 | 0.76 |
| 2031 | 1.05-0.21–2.21 | 0.75 |
| 2032 | 1.04-0.28–2.28 | 0.73 |
| 2033 | 1.04-0.32–2.31 | 0.72 |
| 2034 | 1.03-0.32–2.31 | 0.7 |
| 2035 | 1.02-0.34–2.41 | 0.69 |
| 2036 | 1.02-0.38–2.38 | 0.67 |
| 2037 | 0.98-0.42–2.39 | 0.65 |
| 2038 | 0.96-0.54–2.4 | 0.64 |
| 2039 | 0.95-0.56–2.45 | 0.62 |
| 2040 | 0.93-0.64–2.45 | 0.61 |
| 2041 | 0.91-0.76–2.44 | 0.59 |
| 2042 | 0.89-0.78–2.45 | 0.57 |
| 2043 | 0.86-0.81–2.44 | 0.56 |
| 2044 | 0.84-0.78–2.4 | 0.54 |
| 2045 | 0.82-0.83–2.47 | 0.52 |
| 2046 | 0.8-0.85–2.45 | 0.5 |
| 2047 | 0.78-0.97–2.54 | 0.48 |
| 2048 | 0.75-1.04–2.46 | 0.46 |
| 2049 | 0.72-1.14–2.46 | 0.44 |
| 2050 | 0.69-1.19–2.42 | 0.42 |
| 2051 | 0.68-1.12–2.5 | 0.4 |
| 2052 | 0.64-1.33–2.44 | 0.38 |
| 2053 | 0.6-1.33–2.49 | 0.36 |
| 2054 | 0.56-1.39–2.39 | 0.34 |
| 2055 | 0.56-1.41–2.4 | 0.33 |
| 2056 | 0.52-1.55–2.33 | 0.31 |
| 2057 | 0.5-1.65–2.33 | 0.3 |
| 2058 | 0.48-1.6–2.41 | 0.28 |
| 2059 | 0.47-1.73–2.42 | 0.27 |
| 2060 | 0.44-1.67–2.39 | 0.25 |
| 2061 | 0.42-1.77–2.47 | 0.24 |
| 2062 | 0.4-1.85–2.46 | 0.23 |
| 2063 | 0.35-1.94–2.44 | 0.22 |
| 2064 | 0.33-1.95–2.34 | 0.21 |
| 2065 | 0.3-2.09–2.37 | 0.2 |
| 2066 | 0.3-2.12–2.39 | 0.19 |
| 2067 | 0.29-2.18–2.45 | 0.18 |
| 2068 | 0.28-2.16–2.44 | 0.17 |
| 2069 | 0.26-2.18–2.51 | 0.16 |
| 2070 | 0.24-2.33–2.41 | 0.15 |
| 2071 | 0.2-2.36–2.39 | 0.14 |
| 2072 | 0.17-2.52–2.39 | 0.13 |
| 2073 | 0.16-2.51–2.34 | 0.12 |
| 2074 | 0.15-2.55–2.38 | 0.1 |
| 2075 | 0.11-2.72–2.27 | 0.09 |
| 2076 | 0.11-2.85–2.24 | 0.08 |
| 2077 | 0.1-2.96–2.21 | 0.07 |
| 2078 | 0.08-3.03–2.23 | 0.06 |
| 2079 | 0.06-3.02–2.19 | 0.05 |
| 2080 | 0.03-3.09–2.15 | 0.04 |
| 2081 | 0.03-3.2–2.19 | 0.03 |
| 2082 | 0.01-3.29–2.26 | 0.02 |
| 2083 | 0-3.3–2.18 | 0.01 |
| 2084 | -0.01-3.43–2.25 | -0 |
| 2085 | -0.02-3.38–2.24 | -0.01 |
| 2086 | -0.02-3.35–2.24 | -0.02 |
| 2087 | -0.05-3.48–2.29 | -0.03 |
| 2088 | -0.05-3.43–2.34 | -0.04 |
| 2089 | -0.06-3.66–2.34 | -0.05 |
| 2090 | -0.07-3.54–2.24 | -0.05 |
| 2091 | -0.09-3.64–2.23 | -0.06 |
| 2092 | -0.12-3.76–2.3 | -0.07 |
| 2093 | -0.11-3.74–2.27 | -0.07 |
| 2094 | -0.12-3.89–2.27 | -0.08 |
| 2095 | -0.15-3.97–2.33 | -0.09 |
| 2096 | -0.15-3.97–2.27 | -0.1 |
| 2097 | -0.17-4.07–2.27 | -0.11 |
| 2098 | -0.18-4.17–2.35 | -0.11 |
| 2099 | -0.18-4.22–2.41 | -0.12 |
| 2100 | -0.2-4.23–2.31 | -0.13 |
Good to know
- How fast the population grew or shrank in a year: births minus deaths, plus people moving in minus people moving out.
- Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Lesotho in numbers
Every measure for Lesotho on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending1.63% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$37.3M in 2025
- Military spending per person$17 in 2025
- Military share of state spending2.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel2,000 people in 2020
- National power0.01% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports1 million TIV in 2019