Population growth in Lesotho
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Lesotho increased from 837,264.00 to 2.28 million people. This is a growth of 172.5 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Lesotho was recorded in 2015 with 3.67 percent. The biggest decrease in 2004 with -0.61 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Lesotho rose by 4.17 years from 2012 to 2021 from 20.53 to 24.70 years (median value).
Around 29 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 2.8 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Lesotho
Population development in Lesotho since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)| Year | Population Lesotho | Change Lesotho | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.85 M | 1.87 % | 43.1 ‰ | 18.4 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
| 1962 | 0.87 M | 1.90 % | 43.2 ‰ | 18.2 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
| 1963 | 0.89 M | 1.95 % | 43.2 ‰ | 18.1 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
| 1964 | 0.90 M | 2.00 % | 43.3 ‰ | 18.0 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1965 | 0.92 M | 2.05 % | 43.5 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1966 | 0.94 M | 2.11 % | 43.6 ‰ | 17.6 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
| 1967 | 0.96 M | 2.17 % | 43.8 ‰ | 17.5 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1968 | 0.98 M | 2.22 % | 43.9 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1969 | 1.01 M | 2.26 % | 44.1 ‰ | 17.0 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1970 | 1.03 M | 2.29 % | 44.2 ‰ | 16.8 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1971 | 1.05 M | 2.30 % | 44.3 ‰ | 16.4 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
| 1972 | 1.08 M | 2.33 % | 44.4 ‰ | 16.1 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
| 1973 | 1.10 M | 2.39 % | 44.3 ‰ | 15.7 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
| 1974 | 1.13 M | 2.52 % | 44.3 ‰ | 15.3 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
| 1975 | 1.16 M | 2.67 % | 44.1 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
| 1976 | 1.19 M | 2.82 % | 43.9 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1977 | 1.23 M | 2.93 % | 43.6 ‰ | 13.9 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1978 | 1.27 M | 2.99 % | 43.3 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1979 | 1.30 M | 2.96 % | 42.9 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1980 | 1.34 M | 2.89 % | 42.4 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 1.38 M | 2.80 % | 41.9 ‰ | 12.0 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 1.42 M | 2.73 % | 41.3 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 1.45 M | 2.64 % | 40.7 ‰ | 11.2 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 1.49 M | 2.54 % | 40.0 ‰ | 10.9 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 1.53 M | 2.45 % | 39.2 ‰ | 10.6 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 1.56 M | 2.33 % | 38.4 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 1.60 M | 2.22 % | 37.6 ‰ | 10.2 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 1.63 M | 2.17 % | 36.7 ‰ | 10.1 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 1.67 M | 2.18 % | 35.9 ‰ | 10.1 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 1.70 M | 2.23 % | 35.0 ‰ | 10.1 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 1.74 M | 2.28 % | 34.2 ‰ | 10.2 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
| 1992 | 1.78 M | 2.28 % | 33.4 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 1.82 M | 2.24 % | 32.8 ‰ | 10.7 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 1.86 M | 2.14 % | 32.2 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 1.90 M | 2.00 % | 31.7 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 1.93 M | 1.88 % | 31.3 ‰ | 12.4 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 1.97 M | 1.75 % | 31.1 ‰ | 13.2 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 2.00 M | 1.50 % | 31.0 ‰ | 14.1 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 2.02 M | 1.11 % | 30.9 ‰ | 15.2 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 2.03 M | 0.65 % | 31.0 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 2.04 M | 0.14 % | 31.0 ‰ | 17.2 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 2.03 M | -0.29 % | 30.9 ‰ | 18.2 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 2.02 M | -0.57 % | 30.9 ‰ | 19.1 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 2.01 M | -0.61 % | 30.7 ‰ | 19.7 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 2.00 M | -0.49 % | 30.5 ‰ | 20.2 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 1.99 M | -0.31 % | 30.2 ‰ | 20.4 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 1.99 M | -0.15 % | 29.9 ‰ | 20.4 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 1.99 M | 0.01 % | 29.6 ‰ | 20.2 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 1.99 M | 0.15 % | 29.3 ‰ | 19.9 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 2.00 M | 0.27 % | 29.0 ‰ | 19.3 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2011 | 2.00 M | 0.41 % | 28.8 ‰ | 18.7 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2012 | 2.01 M | 0.56 % | 28.6 ‰ | 17.9 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2013 | 2.03 M | 0.67 % | 28.3 ‰ | 17.2 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2014 | 2.04 M | 0.74 % | 28.7 ‰ | 15.5 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 2.12 M | 3.67 % | 28.3 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
| 2016 | 2.14 M | 1.20 % | 28.2 ‰ | 14.1 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2017 | 2.17 M | 1.25 % | 27.7 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 2.20 M | 1.26 % | 27.3 ‰ | 13.3 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 2.23 M | 1.26 % | 26.8 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
| 2020 | 2.25 M | 1.28 % | 26.4 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
| 2021 | 2.28 M | 1.21 % | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |
Birth and death rate in Lesotho
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Lesotho increased by about 28,400 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 12.9 per 1,000 people (~ 28,600 deaths) and the birth rate was 26.4 per 1,000 people (~ 58,700 births). As a result, around 1,700 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 31,852 in Lesotho. The number of births was 59,089 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life 2023 in country comparison
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