Lesotho Population Pyramid 1997
Year
1997Lesotho in 1997
The population of Lesotho in 1997 was 1,988,131. A decade earlier, in 1987, the population was 1,703,390; it has grown by 16.7% since.
The median age was 18.8 years, and for every 100 people of working age (15–64) there were 75.8 children under 15 and 8.0 people aged 65 or over. 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 | 1,988,131 | 18.8 | |
| Namibia | 1,689,264 | 18.8 | |
| Botswana | 1,571,692 | 18.8 | |
| Swaziland | 1,006,635 | 16.6 | |
| South Africa | 45,666,838 | 21.2 |





