Form of Government: Constitutional monarchy
Area: 30 355 sq km
Population: 2 142 252 inhab. (estimate 2020)
Density: 70.57 inhab./sq km
Coordinates: lat. 29° - 31° S; long. 27° - 29° E
Capital: Maseru (capital) 330 760 inhab. (2016);
Currency: loti, plural maloti (100 lisente)
Human development index: 0.527 (rank: 165)
Sovereign: Letsie III, since 7 February 1996 (having already reigned from 12 November 1990 to 25 January 1995)
Prime Minister: Moeketsi Majoro (ABC), since 20 May 2020
Internet: www.bos.gov.ls (Lesotho Bureau of Statistics)
Member of AU, Commonwealth, EU associated, SACU, SADC, UN, WTO
Lesotho

International license plate code LS
International dialling code 00266
Travel vaccinations requirement yellow fever (required only if traveling from a country with risk of transmission, including travelers having transited more than 12 hours through the airport of a country with risk of transmission)
Electricity (Voltage) 220
Driving side left
Internet code .ls
GMT +2
DST not applied
Annual average temperature (°C) Maseru 15.6
Average temperature in January/July (°C) Maseru 22.5/8
Daily sunshine hours in June/December (average) Maseru 8/10
Annual average precipitation (mm) Maseru 625
Days of rainfall (annual average) Maseru 68
Geography.
An enclave within South Africa, the country lies on a plateau which rises towards the east.
Government
Formerly a British Protectorate (from 1868) known as Basutoland, Lesotho became independent on 4 October 1966. Initially under the authoritarian ruler Joseph Leabua Jonathan (1966-86), the country was then subjected to military rule (1986-1993). However, Lesotho began its path towards democracy with elections in 1993, won by the Basutoland Congress Party (BCP). In 1994, King Letsie III, with support from the military, dissolved parliament but was forced to reinstate it after a month due to popular protests and international pressure. The main political parties are the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and the All Basotho Convention (ABC), which obtained the relative majority at the 2017 elections. As a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth, the country has a non-elected Senate comprising 33 members and Legislative Assembly of 120 members elected by direct suffrage for five-year terms. The leader of the majority party is appointed Prime Minister.
Administrative division
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Maseru | 330 760 | inhab. | 2016 |
Maputsoe | 55 541 | inhab. | 2016 |
Population
Population by age and gender (% - 2020) | ||||||||
| ||||||||
MALE | AGE | FEMALE |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Birth rate | 26.415 | ‰ | 2019 |
Death rate | 13.926 | ‰ | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Sotho | 80$ | % | 2000 |
Zulu | 14$ | % | 2000 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Protestant | 49.9 | % | 2010 |
Catholic | 45.7 | % | 2010 |
DESCRIPTION |
---|
English (official) |
Sesotho (official) |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
0-14 years | 33.8 | % | 2020 |
15-29 years | 27.9 | % | 2020 |
Economy
The major resources are diamonds and water: a vast system of dams and reservoirs, currently being expanded, ensures that the country is self-sufficient as far as electricity is concerned and at the same time it supplies water to South Africa. Agriculture is at the subsistence level, with widespread sheep farming. The main industries are connected to foodstuffs and clothing. Exports (of diamonds, clothes and mohair wool), customs duties and money sent home by emigrant workers in the mines of South Africa are important for the country’s economy. Levels of social inequality are high.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Agricultural prod. index (2004-06=100) | 95.57 | index | 2016 |
Agricultural prod. index (2014-16=100) | 95.97 | index | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Active population | 967 758 | units | 2020 |
Active population, Females | 45.1 | % | 2020 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Unemployment rate | 24.7 | % | 2020 |
Unemployment rate, Females | 52.4 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenses | 13 535 | M LCU | 2019-20 |
Revenues | 16 637 | M LCU | 2019-20 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 8.5 | % | 2019 |
industry | 42.2 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 4.993 | % | 2019 |
industry | 34.751 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Currency in circulation | 1.608 | BN LCU | 2019 |
International reserves | 774.095 | M US$ | 2019 |
Agriculture
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
arable land | 14.272 | % | 2018 |
forests | 1.137 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
barley | 0.459 | 1000 t | 2019 |
cereals, total | 38.818 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
potatoes | 130.54 | 1000 t | 2019 |
roots and tubers, total | 130.54 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beans, dry | 4.03 | 1000 t | 2019 |
peas, dry | 0.504 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
fruits, total | 14.062 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
barley | 1.651 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
maize | 50.202 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
potatoes | 7.683 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beans, dry | 13.497 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
peas, dry | 1.101 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
Forests-Livestock-Fishing
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
timber | 2 156 641 | m³ | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cattle | 509.861 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
cattle and buffaloes | 509.861 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
pigs | 40$ | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sheep | 1 521.544 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
goats | 849.473 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
asses | 116.553 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
asses and mules | 117.12 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
birds | 419 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
eggs | 0.996 | 1000 t | 2019 |
hides and skins | 3.883 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
freshwater fishes | 52.46 | t | 2019 |
total catch | 2 652.46 | t | 2019 |
Minerals
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
clay | 26$ | 1000 t | 2016 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
diamonds | 1 000 | 1000 ct | 2020 |
Energy
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- hydro | 538.67 | M kWh | 2018 |
renewable electricity generation | 100 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- hydro | 80$ | 1000 kW | 2019 |
- other renew. | 0.4 | 1000 kW | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
total net generation | 539.67 | M kWh | 2018 |
total installed capacity | 80.4 | 1000 kW | 2018 |
Industry
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
footwear | 4 176 000 | pairs | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beer of barley | 45$ | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
manufacturing production | 291.447 | M US$ | 2020 |
Trade
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
manufactures | 89.326 | % of goods exports | 2017 |
agricultural raw materials | 6.355 | % of goods exports | 2017 |
Tourism
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenditures | 289 | M US$ | 2019 |
Number of arrivals | 1 142 000 | units | 2019 |
Social and welfare
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expected years of schooling | 12.131 | years | 2017 |
Graduates | 4 616 | units | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Students, primary level | 367 931 | units | 2017 |
Students, secondary level | 136 497 | units | 2017 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Social protection spending | 0.3 | % of total expenses | 2007 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Hospital beds | 1.3 | per 1000 pop. | 2006 |
Physicians | 0.07 | per 1000 pop. | 2010 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
HIV | 22.8 | % of adults | 2019 |
HIV, total | 17.5 | % | 2001 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Research and development spending | 0.051 | % of GDP | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking | 39.4 | % | 2019 |
Access to electricity | 44.641 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
clothing, footwear | 5.7 | % | 2010-11 |
education | 8.9 | % | 2010-11 |