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Lesotho
The only independent nation in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 meters in elevation, Lesotho is a small mountainous kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa. The capital Maseru sits on the Caledon River at the western border. Known as the 'Kingdom in the Sky,' Lesotho's highlands provide water to South Africa through the massive Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
Major cities: Maseru, Teyateyaneng, Mafeteng, Hlotse
2024
2.3M
UN
2050
3.0M
UN
2100
3.3M
UN
~2200
3.0M
GPU
~2500
1.0M
GPU
Population2.3M
Fertility (TFR)2.66
Life expectancy57.8
Median age21.4
Infant mortality55.4 per 1,000
Pop. density76/km²
Urbanization43%
Youth share (0-14)35%
Land area30,360 km²
LanguageEnglish
ReligionChristian
HDI0.550 (#167)
RegionAfrica
Latest available year is shown in parentheses where the source series varies across indicators. Governance metrics use World Bank percentile ranks; battle deaths and military spending are context variables, not direct fertility drivers.
UN WPP 2024 — verified data through 2100
| Year | Population | TFR | Life Exp. | CBR | CDR | Net Migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 580K | 5.70 | 44.6 | 43.6 | 24.3 | -1K | 1.9% |
| 1955 | 642K | 5.79 | 48.0 | 44.9 | 19.9 | -1K | 2.5% |
| 1960 | 737K | 5.78 | 50.2 | 44.6 | 17.4 | +2K | 2.7% |
| 1965 | 854K | 5.77 | 50.3 | 43.3 | 16.7 | +2K | 2.7% |
| 1970 | 1.02M | 5.70 | 51.5 | 40.8 | 15.3 | +11K | 2.5% |
| 1975 | 1.21M | 5.82 | 53.5 | 40.6 | 14.0 | +10K | 2.7% |
| 1980 | 1.41M | 5.75 | 56.5 | 40.4 | 12.2 | +1K | 2.8% |
| 1985 | 1.62M | 5.40 | 59.2 | 37.9 | 10.5 | +1K | 2.7% |
| 1990 | 1.81M | 4.81 | 59.3 | 35.1 | 10.2 | -12K | 2.5% |
| 1995 | 1.95M | 4.13 | 56.4 | 30.6 | 11.4 | -15K | 1.9% |
| 2000 | 2.00M | 3.61 | 48.8 | 28.2 | 15.9 | -26K | 1.2% |
| 2005 | 1.95M | 3.43 | 43.6 | 28.6 | 20.5 | -36K | 0.8% |
| 2010 | 2.00M | 3.25 | 46.0 | 29.2 | 18.2 | -6K | 1.1% |
| 2015 | 2.10M | 3.22 | 51.8 | 29.2 | 13.9 | -7K | 1.5% |
| 2020 | 2.24M | 2.85 | 55.1 | 25.6 | 11.9 | -3K | 1.4% |
| 2024Now | 2.34M | 2.66 | 57.8 | 23.8 | 10.5 | -5K | 1.3% |
| 2025 | 2.36M | 2.64 | 58.2 | 23.5 | 10.3 | -5K | 1.3% |
| 2030 | 2.49M | 2.50 | 60.2 | 22.1 | 9.7 | -5K | 1.2% |
| 2035 | 2.63M | 2.38 | 61.9 | 21.1 | 9.2 | -4K | 1.2% |
| 2040 | 2.76M | 2.29 | 63.4 | 19.9 | 9.1 | -4K | 1.1% |
| 2045 | 2.88M | 2.21 | 64.8 | 18.5 | 9.0 | -4K | 0.9% |
| 2050 | 2.99M | 2.14 | 66.0 | 17.3 | 9.2 | -4K | 0.8% |
| 2055 | 3.09M | 2.08 | 67.1 | 16.2 | 9.5 | -4K | 0.7% |
| 2060 | 3.16M | 2.02 | 68.1 | 15.4 | 10.0 | -3K | 0.5% |
| 2065 | 3.22M | 1.97 | 69.0 | 14.7 | 10.5 | -4K | 0.4% |
| 2070 | 3.27M | 1.94 | 69.9 | 14.2 | 11.0 | -3K | 0.3% |
| 2075 | 3.30M | 1.91 | 70.8 | 13.7 | 11.4 | -4K | 0.2% |
| 2080 | 3.31M | 1.89 | 71.6 | 13.1 | 11.7 | -4K | 0.1% |
| 2085 | 3.31M | 1.86 | 72.4 | 12.7 | 12.0 | -3K | 0.1% |
| 2090 | 3.31M | 1.84 | 73.2 | 12.3 | 12.3 | -2K | 0.0% |
| 2095 | 3.29M | 1.82 | 73.9 | 11.9 | 12.6 | -3K | -0.1% |
| 2100 | 3.26M | 1.80 | 74.7 | 11.7 | 12.8 | -3K | -0.1% |