🇱🇸 Lesotho Population 2026

As of 2026, the population of Lesotho is 2,389,336, ranking #147 in the world (0.03% of the global population), based on UN World Population Prospects 2024. The population is growing at 1.09% per year. The biggest city is Maseru with 359,753 inhabitants.

Live estimate

2,389,942

Growth rate

1.09%

Density

people / km² (204 / mi²)

Median age

22.1

Fertility rate

2.61

births per woman

Life expectancy

58.6

years

Lesotho population 1950–2100

Population of Lesotho, 1950–2100 — solid: UN estimates, dashed: UN medium-variant projection.

By 2050, the population of Lesotho is projected to reach 2,993,076, and 3,259,299 by 2100. The population is expected to peak in 2083 at 3,312,996, then decline.

Lesotho population by year

Year	Population	Growth	Density /km²	Median age
2026	2,389,336	1.09%	78.7	22.1
2025	2,363,325	1.09%	77.8	21.8
2024	2,337,423	1.11%	77.0	21.6
2023	2,311,472	1.12%	76.1	21.4
2022	2,286,110	1.08%	75.3	21.3
2021	2,261,542	1.08%	74.5	21.1
2020	2,235,727	1.22%	73.6	21.0
2019	2,209,405	1.15%	72.8	20.8
2018	2,183,603	1.20%	71.9	20.7
2017	2,157,110	1.24%	71.1	20.6
2016	2,130,422	1.25%	70.2	20.4
2015	2,104,612	1.19%	69.3	20.3
2014	2,080,089	1.16%	68.5	20.2
2013	2,056,504	1.13%	67.7	20.1
2012	2,034,354	1.04%	67.0	20.0
2011	2,014,009	0.97%	66.3	19.9
2010	1,996,251	0.80%	65.8	19.7
2009	1,980,883	0.74%	65.2	19.5
2008	1,966,541	0.71%	64.8	19.4
2007	1,953,268	0.65%	64.3	19.2
2006	1,945,062	0.20%	64.1	19.0
2005	1,953,076	-1.02%	64.3	18.9
2004	1,971,129	-0.82%	64.9	18.8
2003	1,985,059	-0.58%	65.4	18.6
2002	1,994,679	-0.38%	65.7	18.5
2001	2,000,853	-0.23%	65.9	18.3
2000	2,003,913	-0.07%	66.0	18.2
1999	2,003,234	0.14%	66.0	18.0
1998	1,998,049	0.38%	65.8	17.8
1997	1,988,130	0.62%	65.5	17.7
1996	1,972,418	0.97%	65.0	17.5
1995	1,951,437	1.17%	64.3	17.4
1994	1,927,707	1.28%	63.5	17.4
1993	1,901,793	1.43%	62.6	17.3
1992	1,873,274	1.59%	61.7	17.3
1991	1,842,379	1.73%	60.7	17.3
1990	1,809,696	1.85%	59.6	17.4
1989	1,775,436	1.98%	58.5	17.4
1988	1,739,841	2.08%	57.3	17.5
1987	1,703,390	2.16%	56.1	17.6
1986	1,666,138	2.26%	54.9	17.5
1985	1,624,379	2.82%	53.5	17.4
1984	1,578,986	2.85%	52.0	17.4
1983	1,534,413	2.88%	50.5	17.5
1982	1,490,732	2.90%	49.1	17.6
1981	1,448,069	2.91%	47.7	17.6
1980	1,406,521	2.91%	46.3	17.7
1979	1,366,169	2.91%	45.0	17.8
1978	1,327,240	2.87%	43.7	17.8
1977	1,289,967	2.82%	42.5	17.9
1976	1,253,214	2.96%	41.3	17.9
1975	1,213,643	3.46%	40.0	17.8
1974	1,172,420	3.45%	38.6	17.7
1973	1,132,697	3.45%	37.3	17.5
1972	1,094,063	3.49%	36.0	17.3
1971	1,056,246	3.54%	34.8	17.1
1970	1,019,272	3.58%	33.6	17.0
1969	983,202	3.62%	32.4	16.8
1968	948,104	3.65%	31.2	16.7
1967	913,982	3.68%	30.1	16.6
1966	881,870	3.47%	29.0	16.4
1965	854,090	2.93%	28.1	16.2
1964	829,437	2.93%	27.3	16.2
1963	805,373	2.96%	26.5	16.2
1962	781,814	2.98%	25.8	16.2
1961	758,824	2.99%	25.0	16.3
1960	736,500	2.98%	24.3	16.3
1959	714,947	2.96%	23.5	16.4
1958	694,315	2.90%	22.9	16.4
1957	674,669	2.84%	22.2	16.4
1956	657,311	2.37%	21.7	16.5
1955	642,188	2.29%	21.2	16.6
1954	627,894	2.21%	20.7	16.7
1953	614,474	2.11%	20.2	16.9
1952	601,947	2.01%	19.8	17.1
1951	590,269	1.91%	19.4	17.4
1950	579,551	1.76%	19.1	17.7

Year	Population	Growth	Density /km²	Median age
2027	2,415,368	1.07%	79.6	22.3
2028	2,441,442	1.07%	80.4	22.5
2029	2,467,683	1.06%	81.3	22.8
2030	2,493,818	1.04%	82.1	23.0
2031	2,520,021	1.05%	83.0	23.2
2032	2,546,490	1.04%	83.9	23.5
2033	2,573,110	1.04%	84.8	23.8
2034	2,599,779	1.03%	85.6	24.0
2035	2,626,567	1.02%	86.5	24.3
2036	2,653,498	1.02%	87.4	24.6
2037	2,680,080	0.98%	88.3	24.9
2038	2,706,202	0.96%	89.1	25.2
2039	2,732,146	0.95%	90.0	25.5
2040	2,757,876	0.93%	90.8	25.8
2041	2,783,369	0.91%	91.7	26.1
2042	2,808,544	0.89%	92.5	26.4
2043	2,833,260	0.86%	93.3	26.7
2044	2,857,504	0.84%	94.1	27.0
2045	2,881,339	0.82%	94.9	27.4
2046	2,904,784	0.80%	95.7	27.7
2047	2,927,865	0.78%	96.4	28.0
2048	2,950,413	0.75%	97.2	28.3
2049	2,972,157	0.72%	97.9	28.5
2050	2,993,076	0.69%	98.6	28.8
2051	3,013,558	0.68%	99.3	29.1
2052	3,033,468	0.64%	99.9	29.3
2053	3,052,322	0.60%	100.5	29.5
2054	3,070,098	0.56%	101.1	29.8
2055	3,087,284	0.56%	101.7	30.0
2056	3,103,870	0.52%	102.2	30.3
2057	3,119,743	0.50%	102.8	30.5
2058	3,135,128	0.48%	103.3	30.7
2059	3,150,018	0.47%	103.8	30.9
2060	3,164,303	0.44%	104.2	31.2
2061	3,177,872	0.42%	104.7	31.4
2062	3,190,884	0.40%	105.1	31.6
2063	3,202,918	0.35%	105.5	31.8
2064	3,213,882	0.33%	105.9	32.1
2065	3,224,032	0.30%	106.2	32.3
2066	3,233,714	0.30%	106.5	32.5
2067	3,243,286	0.29%	106.8	32.7
2068	3,252,543	0.28%	107.1	32.9
2069	3,261,246	0.26%	107.4	33.1
2070	3,269,324	0.24%	107.7	33.3
2071	3,276,547	0.20%	107.9	33.5
2072	3,282,697	0.17%	108.1	33.8
2073	3,288,163	0.16%	108.3	34.0
2074	3,293,323	0.15%	108.5	34.2
2075	3,297,636	0.11%	108.6	34.4
2076	3,301,209	0.11%	108.7	34.6
2077	3,304,588	0.10%	108.8	34.8
2078	3,307,444	0.08%	108.9	35.0
2079	3,309,742	0.06%	109.0	35.2
2080	3,311,356	0.03%	109.1	35.4
2081	3,312,334	0.03%	109.1	35.6
2082	3,312,871	0.01%	109.1	35.8
2083	3,312,996	0.00%	109.1	35.9
2084	3,312,880	-0.01%	109.1	36.1
2085	3,312,368	-0.02%	109.1	36.3
2086	3,311,724	-0.01%	109.1	36.5
2087	3,310,742	-0.04%	109.0	36.7
2088	3,309,192	-0.05%	109.0	36.8
2089	3,307,347	-0.06%	108.9	37.0
2090	3,305,222	-0.07%	108.9	37.2
2091	3,302,682	-0.09%	108.8	37.3
2092	3,299,293	-0.12%	108.7	37.5
2093	3,295,485	-0.11%	108.5	37.6
2094	3,291,602	-0.12%	108.4	37.8
2095	3,287,138	-0.15%	108.3	38.0
2096	3,282,244	-0.15%	108.1	38.1
2097	3,277,008	-0.17%	107.9	38.2
2098	3,271,338	-0.18%	107.8	38.4
2099	3,265,513	-0.18%	107.6	38.5
2100	3,259,299	-0.20%	107.4	38.7

States & provinces of Lesotho by population

#	State / province	Population	Share
1	Maseru	519,186	21.7%
2	Leribe	337,521	14.1%
3	Butha-Buthe	188,480	7.9%
4	Mafeteng	178,222	7.5%
5	Mohale's Hoek	165,590	6.9%
6	Thaba-Tseka	135,347	5.7%
7	Quthing	115,469	4.8%
8	Mokhotlong	100,442	4.2%
9	Qacha's Nek	74,566	3.1%
10	Berea	66,863	2.8%

State populations: GeoNames (latest official figures, reference dates vary by country).

Biggest cities in Lesotho

#	City	Region	Population
1	Maseru capital	Maseru District	359,753
2	Maputsoe	Leribe	61,916
3	Mohale's Hoek	Mohale's Hoek District	46,593
4	Mafeteng	Mafeteng District	45,287
5	Hlotse	Leribe	43,967
6	Butha-Buthe	Butha-Buthe	40,599
7	Mabote	Berea	38,047
8	Quthing	Quthing	33,910
9	Teyateyaneng	Berea	27,272
10	Qacha’s Nek	Qacha's Nek District	25,573
11	Thaba-Tseka	Thaba-Tseka	16,765

FAQ

What is the population of Lesotho in 2026?

The population of Lesotho is 2,389,336 in 2026, according to UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant).

What is the biggest city in Lesotho?

Maseru is the biggest city in Lesotho with 359,753 inhabitants and it is also the capital.

Is the population of Lesotho growing or shrinking?

The population of Lesotho is growing at 1.09% per year, and is projected to peak in 2083 at 3,312,996.

Neighboring countries

🇿🇦 South Africa

Sources

Country data: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Retrieved 2026-07-07.
City and state data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Retrieved 2026-07-07.

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