Lesotho Population Pyramid 1996
Year
1996Lesotho in 1996
The population of Lesotho in 1996 was 1,972,418. A decade earlier, in 1986, the population was 1,666,138; it has grown by 18.4% since.
With a median age of 18.6 years, Lesotho had a youth dependency ratio of 77.1 and an old-age dependency ratio of 8.0 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 | 1,972,419 | 18.6 | |
| Namibia | 1,646,104 | 18.7 | |
| Botswana | 1,535,914 | 18.6 | |
| Swaziland | 989,842 | 16.3 | |
| South Africa | 45,123,018 | 21.2 |





