Country profile
Lesotho
Kingdom of Lesotho · Southern Africa
👥 Population
2,363,325
World Bank · 2025
🏛 Capital
Maseru
🗺 Area
30,355 km²
💹 GDP (nominal)
$2.57B
World Bank · 2025
📈 HDI
0.550
UNDP · 2023
📍 Pop. density
78 /km²
💱 Currency
LSL, ZAR
Lesotho loti
🗣 Languages
English, Sotho
About Lesotho
Lesotho (officially Kingdom of Lesotho) is a country in Southern Africa, with Maseru as its capital. It is home to roughly 2.36 million people, giving a population density of about 78 people per square kilometre. The country covers 30,355 km² of land and shares land borders with 1 neighbouring country. Its economy is valued at approximately $2.57B in nominal GDP (2025), and it records a Human Development Index of 0.550. The official currency is the Lesotho loti (LSL), and the main languages are English, Sotho.
Key indicators
Latest available data · World Bank & UNDP.
💹 Economy
GDP (PPP)
$7.01B
GDP/capita (PPP)
$3,001
GDP growth
2.0%
Inflation
4.3%
Unemployment
16.3%
👥 People
Life expectancy
57.8 yrs
Fertility rate
2.66
Pop. growth
1.1%
Urban population
44.7%
Infant mortality /1k
56.3
🌍 Quality of Life
Internet users
51.8%
Literacy rate
90.4%
Physicians /1k
0.24
Renewable energy
34.9%
Travel & practical
Capital
Maseru
Currency
LSL, ZAR
Dialing code
+266
Internet TLD
.ls
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Fun facts about Lesotho
- Lesotho is the 141st most populous country in the world, with about 2.36 million people.
- By land area it is the 137th-largest country in the world, covering 30,355 km².
- It has the world's 170th-largest economy by nominal GDP ($2.57B).
- Lesotho shares land borders with 1 country.
- It is classed by the UN as a country of medium human development, with an HDI of 0.550.
- Lesotho has a population density of about 78 people per square kilometre.
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Ethiopia
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