The total population in Lesotho was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.1 million people (+4.63 percent). After the tenth consecutive increasing year, the total population is estimated to reach 2.3 million people and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the total population was continuously increasing over the past years.According to the International Monetary Fund, the total population of a country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.Find more key insights for the total population in countries like Eswatini, South Africa, and Botswana.

Population ages 25-29, male (% of male population) in Lesotho was reported at 8.9378 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Lesotho - Population ages 25-29, male (% of male population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Population ages 60-64, male (% of male population) in Lesotho was reported at 1.6865 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Lesotho - Population ages 50-64, male (% of male population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Population of compulsory school age, female (number) in Lesotho was reported at 152541 Persons in 2019, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Lesotho - Population of compulsory school age, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

23,56,083 (persons) in 2024. Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. The values shown are midyear estimates.

Abstract

The 2023-24 Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey (2023-24 LDHS) is designed to provide data for monitoring the population and health situation in Lesotho. The 2023-24 LDHS is the 4th Demographic and Health Survey conducted in Lesotho since 2004.

The primary objective of the 2023–24 LDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the LDHS collected information on fertility levels, marriage, sexual activity, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, nutrition, childhood and maternal mortality, maternal and child health, awareness and behaviour regarding HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), other health issues (including tuberculosis) and chronic diseases, adult mortality (including maternal mortality), mental health and well-being, and gender-based violence. In addition, the 2023–24 LDHS provides estimates of anaemia prevalence among children age 6–59 months and adults as well as estimates of hypertension and diabetes among adults.

The information collected through the 2023–24 LDHS is intended to assist policymakers and programme managers in designing and evaluating programmes and strategies for improving the health of Lesotho’s population. The survey also provides indicators relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Lesotho.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Children age 0-5
• Woman age 15-49
• Man age 15-59

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49, all men aged 15-59, and all children aged 0-4 resident in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sampling frame used for the 2023–24 LDHS is based on the 2016 Population and Housing Census (2016 PHC), provided by the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics (BoS). The frame file is a complete list of all census enumeration areas (EAs) within Lesotho. An EA is a geographic area, usually a city block in an urban area or a village in a rural area, consisting of approximately 100 households. In rural areas, it may consist of one or more villages. Each EA serves as a counting unit for the population census and has a satellite map delineating its boundaries, with identification information and a measure of size, which is the number of residential households enumerated in the 2016 PHC. Lesotho is administratively divided into 10 districts; each district is subdivided into constituencies and each constituency into community councils.

The 2023–24 LDHS sample of households was stratified and selected independently in two stages. Each district was stratified into urban, peri-urban, and rural areas; this yielded 29 sampling strata because there are no peri-urban areas in Butha-Buthe. In the first sampling stage, 400 EAs were selected with probability proportional to EA size and with independent selection in each sampling stratum. A household listing operation was carried out in all of the selected sample EAs, and the resulting lists of households served as the sampling frame for the selection of households in the next stage.

In the second stage of selection, a fixed number of 25 households per cluster (EA) were selected with an equal probability systematic selection from the newly created household listing. All women age 15–49 who were usual members of the selected households or who spent the night before the survey in the selected households were eligible for the Woman’s Questionnaire. In every other household, all men age 15–59 who were usual members of the selected households or who spent the night before the survey in the selected households were eligible for the Man’s Questionnaire. All households in the men’s subsample were eligible for the Biomarker Questionnaire.

Fifteen listing teams, each consisting of three listers/mappers and a supervisor, were deployed in the field to complete the listing operation. Training of the household listers/mappers took place from 28 to 30 June 2024. The household listing operation was carried out in all of the selected EAs from 5 to 26 July 2024. For each household, Global Positioning System (GPS) data were collected at the time of listing and during interviews.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

Four questionnaires were used for the 2023–24 LDHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Woman’s Questionnaire, the Man’s Questionnaire, and the Biomarker Questionnaire. The questionnaires, based on The DHS Program’s model questionnaires, were adapted to reflect the population and health issues relevant to Lesotho and were translated into Sesotho. In addition, a self-administered Fieldworker Questionnaire collected information about the survey’s fieldworkers.

Cleaning operations

The survey data were collected using tablet computers running the Android operating system and Census and Survey Processing System (CSPro) software, jointly developed by the United States Census Bureau, ICF, and Serpro S.A. English and Sesotho questionnaires were used for collecting data via CAPI. The CAPI programmes accepted only valid responses, automatically performed checks on ranges of values, skipped to the appropriate question based on the responses given, and checked the consistency of the data collected. Answers to the survey questions were entered into the tablets by each interviewer. Supervisors downloaded interview data to their tablet, checked the data for completeness, and monitored fieldwork progress.

Each day, after completion of interviews, field supervisors submitted data to the central server. Data were sent to the central office via secure internet data transfer. The data processing managers monitored the quality of the data received and downloaded completed data files for completed clusters into the system. ICF provided the CSPro software for data processing and technical assistance in the preparation of the data capture, data management, and data editing programmes. Secondary editing was conducted simultaneously with data collection. All technical support for data processing and use of the tablets was provided by ICF.

The total population in South Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 4.9 million people (+7.75 percent). After the tenth consecutive increasing year, the total population is estimated to reach 68.06 million people and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the total population was continuously increasing over the past years.As defined by the International Monetary Fund, the total population of a country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.Find more key insights for the total population in countries like Botswana, Eswatini, and Lesotho.

The total population in Botswana was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.2 million people (+7.35 percent). After the tenth consecutive increasing year, the total population is estimated to reach 2.93 million people and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the total population was continuously increasing over the past years.According to the International Monetary Fund, the total population of a country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.Find more key insights for the total population in countries like Lesotho, Eswatini, and South Africa.

There were 133 200 Linkedin users in Lesotho in December 2024, which accounted for 5.7% of its entire population. People aged 25 to 34 were the largest user group (63 000).

50.7 (%) in 2024. Annual data series are interpolated from 5-year period data. Therefore they may not reflect real events as much as observed data.

Population ages 10-14, male (% of male population) in Lesotho was reported at 11.73 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Lesotho - Population ages 10-14, male (% of male population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

The total population in the Kingdom of Eswatini was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.1 million people (+8.47 percent). After the tenth consecutive increasing year, the total population is estimated to reach 1.24 million people and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the total population was continuously increasing over the past years.This indicator describes the total population in the country at hand. This total population of the country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.Find more key insights for the total population in countries like Lesotho, South Africa, and Botswana.

There were 696 300 Messenger users in Lesotho in September 2024, which accounted for 29.7% of its entire population. The majority of them were women - 52.6%. People aged 18 to 24 were the largest user group (260 600). The highest difference between men and women occurs within people aged 18 to 24, where women lead by 124 300.

In 2022, the labor participation rate among the total population aged between 15 and 64 in Lesotho remained nearly unchanged at around 66.59 percent. Nevertheless, this was the first time during the observed period that the labor participation rate increased in Lesotho. The labor force participation rate is the share of people aged 15 and over who are economically active (i.e. employed or actively searching for work). It is calculated by dividing the economically active population aged 15 and over by the total population aged 15 and over.Find more key insights for the labor participation rate among the total population aged between 15 and 64 in countries like Botswana and Kingdom of Eswatini.

School age population, primary education, male (number) in Lesotho was reported at 152308 Persons in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Lesotho - Population of the official age for primary education, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

UNICEF's country profile for Lesotho, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

Population ages 35-39, male (% of male population) in Lesotho was reported at 7.7504 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Lesotho - Population ages 35-39, male (% of male population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Population ages 65-69, female (% of female population) in Lesotho was reported at 1.8309 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Lesotho - Population ages 65-69, female (% of female population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

In 2023, the youth unemployment rate in Lesotho remained nearly unchanged at around 24.84 percent. Still, 2023 marked the third consecutive decline of the youth unemployment rate. The youth unemployment rate refers to the share of the economically active population aged 15 to 24 currently without work but in search of employment. The youth unemployment rate does not include economically inactive persons such as the long-term unemployed or full-time students.Find more key insights for the youth unemployment rate in countries like Swaziland and Botswana.

The unemployment rate in Lesotho saw no significant changes in 2023 in comparison to the previous year 2022 and remained at around 16.46 percent. Still, 2023 marked the third consecutive decline of the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate refers to the share of the workforce that is currently not working but is actively searching for work. It does not include the economically inactive population, such as the long-term unemployed, those aged under 15 years, or retired persons.Find more key insights for the unemployment rate in countries like Botswana and Swaziland.