Population and Demographics of Lesotho
Population changed +1.12% in 2024 · median age 22 years
The age balance in Lesotho spans 34.52% under 15 and 3.86% aged 65 or older, with fertility measured at 2.7 children per woman. The 30.66-point difference between the under-15 and 65-plus shares shows how strongly the age balance leans younger. That context matters for the outlook: the 2050 medium projection is 2.99 million, 28.1% higher than in 2024.
Population Over Time in Lesotho
Between 2000 and 2024, Lesotho's population increased by about 0.33 million, moving from 2.004M to 2.337M. The central 2050 projection is 2.993M, implying a +28.1% change from 2024 if that path is realized. The chart connects dated reference points only and should not be read as an annual interpolated series.
Age Structure and Sex Balance
Looking beyond the headline population number, Lesotho's 2024 age structure is young. Children under 15 make up 34.52% of the population, compared with 3.86% aged 65 or older, and 61.62% are 15 to 64. The age balance is weighted toward younger residents.
Population by broad age group
The 2024 World Bank sex-share indicator gives Lesotho a female share of 51.3% and a male share of 48.7%. Females exceed males by 2.6 percentage points.
Female and male population share
Females made up 51.3% of the population in the World Bank's 2024 series, compared with 48.7% males.
What Is Shaping Population Change
The short-run measure for Lesotho is +1.12% population change in 2024, alongside fertility of 2.7, within a population where the under-15 and 65-plus shares differ by 30.66 percentage points.
Across the historical reference points, Lesotho moved +16.6% from 2000 to 2024, whereas the medium projection changes the population +28.1% by 2050; that contrast is reported without assigning unsupported causes.
2024 estimate for Lesotho. The world comparison value is 2.25 children per woman.
Lesotho vs. World
A same-year comparison shows Lesotho at +1.12% annual growth, 2.7 children per woman and a median age of 22, against world values of +0.87%, 2.25 and 30.6.
| Indicator | Lesotho | World | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual population change | +1.12% | +0.87% | 2024 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.7 | 2.25 | 2024 |
| Median age | 22 | 30.6 | 2024 |
This comparison avoids mixed-year arithmetic by keeping Lesotho and the world on the same 2024 harmonized demographic table.
Key Takeaways
The 2024 total is 2,337,423 people. Annual change in the same harmonized table is +1.12%.
Age structure is a key feature of the profile: 34.52% are under 15 and 3.86% are 65 or older.
Females make up 51.3% of the 2024 population in the World Bank indicator, with males at 48.7%.
The 2050 medium projection is 2.993M, 28.1% above the 2024 estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Lesotho?
The 2024 harmonized population estimate for Lesotho is 2,337,423 people.
Is the population of Lesotho growing or declining?
In the 2024 estimate, Lesotho's population is growing, with annual change of +1.12%.
What percentage of the population of Lesotho is aged 65 or older?
People aged 65 or older account for 3.86% of Lesotho's 2024 population in the UN WPP-based broad age data.
What is the projected population of Lesotho in 2050?
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium projection puts Lesotho's 2050 population at 2,993,077.
What is the fertility rate in Lesotho?
The 2024 harmonized fertility estimate for Lesotho is 2.7 children per woman.
Sources & methodology
This profile uses United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 as the primary framework for globally comparable population, age, fertility and projection data. The World Bank is the primary source for the female population share. Some country values were accessed through secondary retrieval interfaces that republish or organize UN data; those interfaces are identified below as secondary and are not treated as the original statistical publishers.
View sources used for this page
Primary global framework for the population estimates and projections.
Harmonized 2024 country table based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized broad age shares based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized reference for the 2000 population point.
Harmonized 2050 country projection based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Used for the 2024 female share; the male share is calculated as the remainder to 100%.