Geography
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
total : 30,355 sq km
land: 30,355 sq km
water: 0 sq km
slightly smaller than Maryland
Area comparison map:
total: 1,106 km
border countries (1): South Africa 1,106 km
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
mean elevation: 2,161 m
water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
agricultural land: 74.8% (2022 est.)
arable land: 8.8% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 0.1% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 65.9% (2022 est.)
forest: 1.1% (2022 est.)
other: 24.1% (2022 est.)
Orange river source (shared with South Africa and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)
relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people, as shown in this population distribution map landlocked, surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m (5,900 ft) above sea level
People and Society
total: 2,227,548 (2024 est.)
male: 1,101,959
female: 1,125,589
noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho
Sotho 99.7%, other 0.3% (includes Kwena, Nguni (Hlubi and Phuthi), Zulu)
Sesotho (official), English (official), Phuthi, Xhosa, Zulu
Protestant 47.8% (Pentecostal 23.1%, Lesotho Evangelical 17.3%, Anglican 7.4%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%, non-Christian 1.4%, none 2.3% (2014 est.)
0-14 years: 32% (male 358,137/female 353,618)
15-64 years: 62.7% (male 699,197/female 696,626)
65 years and over: 5.4% (2024 est.) (male 44,625/female 75,345)
2024 population pyramid:
total dependency ratio: 59.6 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 51 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 8.6 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 11.6 (2024 est.)
total: 23.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 23.4 years
female: 24.3 years
22.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
10.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
-4.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people, as shown in this population distribution map urban population: 30.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
202,000 MASERU (capital) (2018)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
20.9 years (2014 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
478 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
total: 45.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 60.2 years (2024 est.)
male: 58.1 years
female: 62.3 years
2.85 children born/woman (2024 est.)
improved:
urban: 93% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 65.9% of population (2022 est.)
total: 74% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved:
urban: 7% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 34.1% of population (2022 est.)
total: 26% of population (2022 est.)
10.2% of GDP (2021)
13.1% of national budget (2022 est.)
0.24 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
improved:
urban: 93.6% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 62.4% of population (2022 est.)
total: 71.7% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved:
urban: 6.4% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 37.6% of population (2022 est.)
total: 28.3% of population (2022 est.)
total: 3.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 22.8% (2025 est.)
male: 42.4% (2025 est.)
female: 4.1% (2025 est.)
women married by age 15: 1% (2018)
women married by age 18: 16.4% (2018)
men married by age 18: 1.9% (2018)
6.6% of GDP (2024 est.)
10.4% national budget (2024 est.)
total population: 86.2% (2018 est.)
male: 80.2% (2018 est.)
female: 91.8% (2018 est.)
total: 11 years (2017 est.)
male: 11 years (2017 est.)
female: 11 years (2017 est.)
Environment
overgrazing; severe soil erosion; soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
agricultural land: 74.8% (2022 est.)
arable land: 8.8% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 0.1% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 65.9% (2022 est.)
forest: 1.1% (2022 est.)
other: 24.1% (2022 est.)
urban population: 30.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
1.148 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 175,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 973,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
17.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 73,500 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 11.9% (2022 est.)
municipal: 20 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural: 3.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
3.022 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Government
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho
local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
local short form: Lesotho
former: Basutoland
etymology: the name comes from the Sotho people, whose name means "dark-skinned;" Le- is a singular noun prefix; the former name, Basutoland, uses the plural noun prefix, Ba-
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
name: Maseru
geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name means "[place of] red sandstones" in the Sesotho language
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
mixed system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; High Court and Court of Appeal review legislative acts
history: previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version)
amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, including fundamental rights and freedoms, sovereignty of the kingdom, the office of the king, and powers of Parliament, requires a majority vote by the National Assembly, approval by the Senate, approval in a referendum by a majority of qualified voters, and assent of the king; passage of amendments other than those specified provisions requires at least a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE (28 October 2022)
cabinet: consists of the prime minister (appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State), the deputy prime minister, and 18 other ministers; the prime minister is the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the National Assembly
election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary but has no executive or legislative powers under the constitution; under traditional law, the College of Chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, determine next in line of succession, or serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature age
note: King LETSIE III previously occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile
legislature name: Parliament
legislative structure: bicameral
chamber name: National Assembly
number of seats: 122 (all directly elected)
electoral system: mixed system
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 10/7/2022
parties elected and seats per party: Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) (56); Democratic Congress (DC) (29); All Basotho Convention (ABC) (8); Basotho Action Party (BAP) (6); Other (20)
percentage of women in chamber: 25%
expected date of next election: October 2027
chamber name: Senate
number of seats: 33 (11 appointed)
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 11/2/2022
percentage of women in chamber: 21.2%
expected date of next election: November 2027
highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament)
judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75
subordinate courts: Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; military courts
note: both the Court of Appeal and the High Court have jurisdiction in constitutional issues
All Basotho Convention or ABC
Alliance of Democrats or AD
Basotho Action Party or BAP
Basotho National Party or BNP
Democratic Congress or DC
Democratic Party of Lesotho or DPL
Lesotho People's Congress or LPC
Movement of Economic Change or MEC
National Independent Party or NIP
Popular Front for Democracy of PFD
Reformed Congress of Lesotho or RCL
chief of mission: Ambassador Tumisang MOSOTHO (since 16 September 2022)
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533
FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
email address and website:
lesothoembassy@verizon.net
https://www.gov.ls/ chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Thomas HINES (since August 2024)
embassy: 254 Kingsway Avenue, Maseru
mailing address: 2340 Maseru Place, Washington DC 20521-2340
telephone: [266] 22312666
FAX: [266] 22310116
email address and website:
USConsularMaseru@state.gov
https://ls.usembassy.gov/ ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
4 October 1966 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
description: three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green; centered on the white stripe is a black mokorotlo, a traditional Basotho straw hat and national symbol
meaning: blue stands for rain, white for peace, and green for prosperity
history: the redesigned flag was introduced in 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence
blue, white, green, black
title: "Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers)
lyrics/music: Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR
history: adopted 1967; music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook
Economy
lower middle-income economy surrounded by South Africa; environmentally fragile and politically unstable; key infrastructure and renewable energy investments; dire poverty; urban job and income losses due to COVID-19; systemic corruption
$6.166 billion (2024 est.)
$6 billion (2023 est.)
$5.893 billion (2022 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
2.8% (2024 est.)
1.8% (2023 est.)
2.4% (2022 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$2,600 (2024 est.)
$2,600 (2023 est.)
$2,600 (2022 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
$2.272 billion (2024 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
6.1% (2024 est.)
6.3% (2023 est.)
8.3% (2022 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
agriculture: 6.5% (2024 est.)
industry: 31% (2024 est.)
services: 48% (2024 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
household consumption: 92.9% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 35.6% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 28.3% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: -1.1% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 42.9% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -98.6% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
milk, potatoes, maize, vegetables, fruits, sorghum, wheat, game meat, beans, wool (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism
2.6% (2024 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
884,200 (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
16.2% (2024 est.)
16.5% (2023 est.)
16.7% (2022 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
total: 24.2% (2024 est.)
male: 17.7% (2024 est.)
female: 36.2% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
49.7% (2017 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
44.9 (2017 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
lowest 10%: 1.7% (2017 est.)
highest 10%: 32.9% (2017 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
22% of GDP (2024 est.)
22.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
22.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
revenues: $1.13 billion (2022 est.)
expenditures: $1.256 billion (2022 est.)
note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
3% of GDP (2020 est.)
note: central government debt as a % of GDP
30.4% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
$84.393 million (2024 est.)
-$151.577 million (2023 est.)
-$268.876 million (2022 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$983.027 million (2024 est.)
$885.789 million (2023 est.)
$1.07 billion (2022 est.)
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
South Africa 31%, Belgium 26%, USA 20%, UAE 8%, India 8% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
diamonds, garments, wool, power equipment, bedding (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
$2.083 billion (2024 est.)
$2.077 billion (2023 est.)
$2.247 billion (2022 est.)
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
South Africa 78%, China 10%, Taiwan 3%, Japan 1%, India 1% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
refined petroleum, fabric, trucks, garments, cotton fabric (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
$1.008 billion (2024 est.)
$854.089 million (2023 est.)
$771.278 million (2022 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
$928.019 million (2023 est.)
note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
maloti (LSL) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
18.329 (2024 est.)
18.45 (2023 est.)
16.356 (2022 est.)
14.779 (2021 est.)
16.459 (2020 est.)
Military and Security
Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) (2025)
note: the Lesotho Mounted Police Service is responsible for internal security and reports to the Minister of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police
1.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
approximately 2,000 active Defense Forces (2025)
the LDF is lightly armed and has a small inventory of mostly older or second-hand equipment of European, South African, and US origin (2025)
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for both men and women (women can serve in combat arms); no conscription (2024)
the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) is responsible for the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; the LDF is a small force that began in 1964 as the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); the PMU was designated as the Lesotho Paramilitary Force in 1980 and became the Royal Lesotho Defense Force in 1986; it was renamed the Lesotho Defense Force in 1993 (2025)
