Lesotho: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Zimbabwe complete semifinal line-up • May 14, 2025, 6:30 AM ET (The Namibian)

Solar baked bread from Lesotho • Apr. 24, 2025, 1:09 AM ET (Deutsche Welle)

Also Known As	Kingdom of Lesotho • Basutoland
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Sam Matekane
Capital	Maseru
Population	(2025 est.) 2,135,000
Head Of State	King: Letsie III
Form Of Government	constitutional monarchy with two legislative houses (Senate [33 nonelected seats]; National Assembly [120])
Official Languages	Sotho; English
Official Religion	Christianity
Official Name	‘Muso oa Lesotho (Sotho); Kingdom of Lesotho (English)
Total Area (Sq Km)	30,355
Total Area (Sq Mi)	11,720
Monetary Unit	loti (plural maloti [M])
Population Rank	(2025) 148
Population Projection 2030	2,180,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 182.2
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 70.3
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 30.9% • Rural: (2024) 69.1%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 59.1 years • Female: (2022) 66.7 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2022) 74% • Female: (2022) 90%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 2,898
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 1,250