Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100

Lesotho Population Pyramid 2008

Lesotho
Afghanistan Africa Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Asia Australia Australia/New Zealand Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Caribbean Central African Republic Central America Central Asia Chad Channel Islands Chile China China, Hong Kong SAR China, Macao SAR Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Dem. People's Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic Eastern Africa Eastern Asia Eastern Europe Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europe Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latin America and the Caribbean Latvia Least developed countries Lebanon Lesotho Less developed regions Less developed regions, excluding China Less developed regions, excluding least developed countries Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Melanesia Mexico Micronesia Micronesia (Fed. States of) Middle Africa Mongolia Montenegro More developed regions Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Northern Africa Northern America Northern Europe Norway Oceania Oman Other non-specified areas Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Polynesia Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Sudan South-Central Asia South-Eastern Asia Southern Africa Southern Asia Southern Europe Spain Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sub-Saharan Africa Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic TFYR Macedonia Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United Republic of Tanzania United States Virgin Islands United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Western Africa Western Asia Western Europe Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
2008
Population: 1,966,540

Year

-5 -1   2008  +1 +5

Country

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
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Summary

Lesotho in 2008

In 2008, Lesotho had a total population of 1,966,540 people. A decade earlier, in 1998, the population was still 1,998,049; it has declined by 1.6% since.

With a median age of 20.4 years, Lesotho had a youth dependency ratio of 62.3 and an old-age dependency ratio of 7.6 per 100 people of working age. The pyramid is expansive: its wide base of young cohorts reflects high fertility and a rapidly growing population.

Ranks #146 of 201 by population Ranks #148 of 201 by median age Ranks #181 of 201 by growth

Share of the population by age group, 1950–2100

Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.

Key indicators for Lesotho
Population
1,966,540
Median age
20.4
0-14 %
36.7%
65+ %
4.5%
Child dependency
62.3
Old-age dependency
7.6
Region
AFRICA
Pyramid shape
Expansive
Population 2050
2,993,077
Population 2100
3,259,299
What is driving the change
Births per woman
Total fertility rate, 1960–2023
123456
1960Replacement level (2.1)2023 · 2.69

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.

Life expectancy at birth
Years, 1960–2023
Total Women Men
3040506070
19602023 · 57.4

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.

People supported per 100 workers
Dependency ratios, 1950–2100
Children Older adults
22456890
19502100
Migration to and from Lesotho
Where immigrants come from (2024)

8,986 immigrants live in Lesotho, 0.4% of the population.

South Africa5,964
India522
Pakistan522
Uganda313
China276
Where emigrants live (2024)

246,938 people born in Lesotho live in other countries.

South Africa237,718
Mozambique8,173
Botswana292
Swaziland226
Australia157
Explore
Immigration statistics Origin of migrant stocks map

Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.

How Lesotho compares with its neighbours
Country Population Median age Relative size
Lesotho 1,966,541 20.4
Botswana 1,949,971 22.0
Namibia 2,047,056 20.0
Swaziland 1,098,092 19.1
South Africa 51,114,599 24.0
Frequently asked questions about Lesotho's population
How many people lived in Lesotho in 2008?
Lesotho had a population of 1,966,540 in 2008.
Is the population of Lesotho increasing or decreasing?
Lesotho's population declined 1.6% over the previous ten years, and is projected to reach 2,993,077 by 2050.
What is the median age in Lesotho?
The median age in Lesotho is 20.4 years — half the population is younger, half older.
What share of Lesotho's population is over 65 or under 15?
In Lesotho, 36.7% of people are under 15 and 4.5% are 65 or older.
What type of population pyramid does Lesotho have?
Lesotho's pyramid is expansive — broad at the bottom, the signature of high birth rates and a growing population.

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