Lesotho Population Pyramid 1981
Year
1981Lesotho in 1981
As of 1981, Lesotho counted 1,448,069 inhabitants. Over the previous ten years the population grew by 37.1%, up from 1,056,246 in 1971.
With a median age of 18.7 years, Lesotho had a youth dependency ratio of 78.6 and an old-age dependency ratio of 7.1 per 100 people of working age. This is an expansive pyramid — each cohort of children is larger than the one above it, the signature of high birth rates and rapid growth.
Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.
In 2023 women in Lesotho had on average 2.69 children, above the replacement level of 2.1.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
A child born there in 2023 could expect to live 57.4 years on average (60.0 years for girls, 54.6 for boys).
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
8,986 immigrants live in Lesotho, 0.4% of the population.
| South Africa | 5,964 |
| India | 522 |
| Pakistan | 522 |
| Uganda | 313 |
| China | 276 |
246,938 people born in Lesotho live in other countries.
| South Africa | 237,718 |
| Mozambique | 8,173 |
| Botswana | 292 |
| Swaziland | 226 |
| Australia | 157 |
Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.
| Country | Population | Median age | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesotho | 1,448,069 | 18.7 | |
| Namibia | 992,501 | 16.4 | |
| Botswana | 969,997 | 16.8 | |
| Swaziland | 616,809 | 15.5 | |
| South Africa | 30,541,045 | 19.6 |





