International Rankings of Lesotho 2023, country comparisons

This table lists the international rankings of Lesotho, in all categories that are published in the CIA World Factbook, and those that we derived from them. Additional international rankings of Lesotho, can be found in the main country ranks menu.
For a definition of each entry, visit the Definitions page.

Ranked Data	Rank	Value	Year
Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	59	0.2	2020
Broadband - fixed subscriptions - total	181	5060	2020
Internet users - percent of population	71	48 %	2021
Internet users - total	146	1.104 million	2021
Telephones - fixed lines - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	60	N/A	2021
Telephones - fixed lines - total subscriptions	183	9559	2021
Telephones - mobile cellular - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	77	80	2021
Telephones - mobile cellular - total subscriptions	153	1.821 million	2021
Economy
Average household expenditures - on alcohol and tobacco	59	N/A % of household expenditures	2023
Average household expenditures - on food	95	N/A % of household expenditures	2023
Budget - expenditures	168	1.210 billion US Dollars	2020
Budget - revenues	165	1.054 billion US Dollars	2020
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)	83	6 % of GDP	0
Current account balance	89	90.886 million US Dollars	2021
Debt - external	168	868.000 million US Dollars	2019
Exports	176	1.080 billion US Dollars	2021
GDP (official exchange rate)	186	2.462 billion US Dollars	2019
GDP - composition by end use - exports of goods and services	84	40.8 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - government consumption	20	26.4 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - household consumption	71	69.2 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - imports of goods and services	120	54.4 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - investment in fixed capital	22	31.4 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - investment in inventories	73	13.4 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by sector of origin - agriculture	102	5.8 % of GDP	2016
GDP - composition by sector of origin - industry	30	39.2 % of GDP	2016
GDP - composition by sector of origin - services	125	54.9 % of GDP	2017
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income	24	44.9 %	2017
Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10%	20	39.4 % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population	2003
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%	41	1 % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population	0
Imports	170	2.221 billion US Dollars	2021
Industrial production growth rate	43	8.52 %	2021
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	50	6.05 %	2021
Labor force	145	955600 US Dollars	2021
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture	4	86 %	0
Labor force - by occupation - industry	135	N/A %	2023
Labor force - by occupation - services	166	N/A %	2023
Population below poverty line	21	49.7 %	2017
Public debt	144	33.7 % of GDP	2017
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)	178	5.236 billion US Dollars	2021
Real GDP growth rate	160	1.35 %	2021
Real GDP per capita	164	2300 US Dollars	2021
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	155	774.095 million US Dollars	2019
Taxes and other revenues	100	18.47 % of GDP	0
Unemployment rate	10	24.6 %	2021
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - female	22	43.8	2021
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - male	22	32.8	0
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - total	19	37.4	0
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions - from coal and metallurgical coke	128	0 metric tonnes of CO2	2019
Carbon dioxide emissions - from consumed natural gas	124	0 metric tonnes of CO2	2019
Carbon dioxide emissions - from petroleum and other liquids	180	736000 metric tonnes of CO2	2019
Coal - consumption	122	0 metric tons	2020
Coal - exports	62	0 metric tons	2020
Coal - imports	112	0 metric tons	2020
Coal - production	75	0 metric tons	2020
Coal - proven reserves	75	0 metric tons	2019
Electricity - consumption	161	912.800 million kWh	2019
Electricity - exports	98	0 kWh	2019
Electricity - imports	83	541.700 million kWh	2019
Electricity - installed generating capacity	186	74000 kWh	2020
Electricity - transmission/distribution losses	154	129.900 million kWh	2019
Electricity access	2	N/A %	2023
Electricity generation sources - biomass and waste	57	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - fossil fuels	161	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - geothermal	17	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - hydroelectricity	2	99.8 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - nuclear	34	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - solar	67	0.2 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - tide and wave	6	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - wind	73	0 %	2020
Energy consumption per capita	163	7.823 million Btu/person	2019
Natural gas - consumption	121	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - exports	57	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - imports	88	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - production	97	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - proven reserves	92	0 cubic meters	2021
Petroleum - crude oil and lease condensate exports	73	0 bbl/day	2018
Petroleum - crude oil and lease condensate imports	82	0 bbl/day	2018
Petroleum - crude oil estimated reserves	89	0 bbl/day	2021
Petroleum - refined petroleum consumption	171	5100 bbl/day	2019
Petroleum - total petroleum production	106	0 bbl/day	2021
Refined petroleum products - exports	128	0 bbl/day	2015
Refined petroleum products - imports	171	5118 bbl/day	2015
Refined petroleum products - production	112	0 bbl/day	2015
Environment
Air pollutants - carbon dioxide emissions	139	2.51 megatons	2016
Air pollutants - methane emissions	140	2.56 megatons	2020
Air pollutants - particulate matter emissions	61	27.78 micrograms per cubic meter	2016
Land use - agricultural land	9	76.1	2018
Land use - arable land	95	10.1	2018
Land use - forest	171	1.5	2018
Land use - other	110	22.4	2018
Land use - permanent crops	84	0.1	2018
Land use - permanent pasture	11	65.9	2018
Revenue from coal	33	0 % of GDP	2018
Revenue from forest resources	22	3.34 % of GDP	2018
Total renewable water resources	153	3.020 billion cubic meters	2020
Total water withdrawal - agricultural	135	3.800 million cubic meters	2017
Total water withdrawal - industrial	94	20.000 million cubic meters	2020
Total water withdrawal - municipal	111	20.000 million cubic meters	2020
Urbanization - rate of urbanization	48	2.77	2025
Urbanization - urban population	158	30.4	2023
Waste and recycling - municipal solid waste generated annually	125	N/A tons	2023
Waste and recycling - municipal solid waste recycled annually	125	N/A tons	2023
Waste and recycling - percent of municipal solid waste recycled	89	N/A %	2023
Geography
Area - land	140	30355 sq km	0
Area - total	143	30355 sq km	0
Area - water	211	0141 sq km	0
Coastline	190	0 km	0
Elevation - highest point	47	3482 meters	0
Elevation - lowest point	2	1400 meters	0
Elevation - mean elevation	6	2161 meters	0
Irrigated land	150	12 sq km	2013
Land boundaries - total	118	1106 km	0
Land use - agricultural land	9	76.1	2018
Land use - arable land	95	10.1	2018
Land use - forest	171	1.5	2018
Land use - other	110	22.4	2018
Land use - permanent crops	84	0.1	2018
Land use - permanent pasture	11	65.9	2018
Military
Military expenditures	37	1.6 % of GDP	2022
Population
Alcohol consumption per capita - beer	78	1.98 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - other alcohols	25	0.82 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - spirits	112	0.31 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - total	94	3.56 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - wine	65	0.44 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Birth rate	48	23.01 births/1,000 population	2023
Children under the age of 5 years underweight	50	10.5 %	2018
Contraceptive prevalence rate	42	64.9 %	2018
Current health expenditure	11	11.8 % of GDP	2020
Currently married women (ages 15-49)	99	53.7 %	2023
Death rate	23	10.9 deaths/1,000 population	2023
Dependency ratios - elderly dependency ratio	129	6.8 %	0
Dependency ratios - potential support ratio	43	14.7 %	2021
Dependency ratios - total dependency ratio	61	62.1 %	0
Dependency ratios - youth dependency ratio	55	55.3 %	0
Drinking water source - improved	36	95.7 % of population	0
Drinking water source - rural	39	22.8 % of population	0
Drinking water source - total	28	17.4 % of population	2020
Drinking water source - unimproved	29	4.3 % of population	0
Education expenditures	9	8.7 % of GDP	2021
Gross reproduction rate	41	1.42 %	2023
Hospital bed density	71	N/A beds/1,000 population	2023
Infant mortality rate - female	24	41.44 deaths/1,000 live births	2023
Infant mortality rate - male	22	52.47 deaths/1,000 live births	0
Infant mortality rate - total	23	47.04 deaths/1,000 live births	0
Life expectancy at birth - female	198	61.95 years	2023
Life expectancy at birth - male	205	57.85 years	0
Life expectancy at birth - total population	198	59.87 years	0
Literacy - female	59	88.8 %	2021
Literacy - male	76	72.9 %	0
Literacy - total population	70	81 %	0
Maternal mortality ratio	9	566 deaths/100,000 live births	2020
Median age - female	123	24.7 years	2020
Median age - male	112	24.7 years	0
Median age - total	117	24.7 years	0
Mother's mean age at first birth	67	20.9	2014
Net migration rate	167	4.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population	0
Obesity - adult prevalence rate	89	16.6 %	2016
Physicians density	132	0.47 physicians/1,000 population	2018
Population	148	2.211 million	2023
Population growth rate	95	0.76 %	2023
Sanitation facility access - improved	40	93.6 % of population	0
Sanitation facility access - rural	50	37.6 % of population	0
Sanitation facility access - total	46	28.6 % of population	2020
Sanitation facility access - unimproved	55	6.4 % of population	0
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - female	10	13 years	2017
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - male	9	12 years	0
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - total	10	12 years	0
Sex ratio - 0-14 years	15	1.01 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - 15-64 years	23	1 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - 65 years and over	52	0.59 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - at birth	10	1.03 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - total population	21	0.98 male(s)/female	0
Tobacco use - female	73	5.4 %	2020
Tobacco use - male	27	43.1 %	2020
Tobacco use - total	49	24.3 %	2020
Total fertility rate	48	2.88 children born/woman	2023
Urbanization - rate of urbanization	48	2.77	2025
Urbanization - urban population	158	30.4	2023
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - female	22	43.8	2021
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - male	22	32.8	0
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - total	19	37.4	0
Transportation
Airports	101	24	2021
Airports - with paved runways - civil airports	18	N/A	2023
Airports - with paved runways - joint use (civil-military) airports	1	N/A	2023
Airports - with paved runways - military airports	14	N/A	2023
Airports - with paved runways - other airports	22	N/A	2023
Airports - with unpaved runways	78	211000	3280
Heliports	26	N/A	2023
Merchant marine - total	144	N/A	2023
National air transport system - annual freight traffic on registered air carriers	139	N/A	2023
National air transport system - annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers	158	N/A	2023
National air transport system - inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers	102	N/A	2023
National air transport system - number of registered air carriers	28	N/A	2023
Railways	33	N/A km	2023
Roadways - paved	124	1069 km	2011
Roadways - total	127	5940 km	2011
Waterways	109	N/A km	2023

*CALCULATED FIGURES are those that we calculated from data presented by the CIA World Factbook. For example, we calculated population density by dividing the total population by the land area, the electricity consumption per capita by dividing electricity consumption by the total population, etc.

NOTE: The information regarding Lesotho on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Lesotho 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Lesotho 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.