Lesotho — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Lesotho: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Lesotho is in Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa. It covers 30,355 sq km. Terrain: mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains. Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers.
| Capital | Maseru |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,222,962 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $6.166 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $2,600 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 2.8% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 6.1% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 16.2% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 3% of GDP (2020 est.) |
| Exports | $983.027 million (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $2.083 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 60.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 24 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 30.4% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Independence | 4 October 1966 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Sesotho (official), English (official), Phuthi, Xhosa, Zulu |
Lesotho’s GDP is $6.166 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $2.272 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 2.8% (2024 est.). See where Lesotho ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
- What our model rewards: public debt under 3% of GDP — room to maneuver
- What drags it down: unemployment at 16.2%; life expectancy of only 60 years
Diamonds.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 50% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 99.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 8.117 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 5.5 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 2,379 kWh per person (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $983.027 million (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $2.083 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $1.1 billion (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Sam Matekane — Prime Minister. King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996)
Lesotho maintains 15 embassies and 4 consulates abroad, hosts 5 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 15 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 4 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 5 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 34 (registration prefix 7P) |
Major airports
Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU) — Maseru(Mazenod).
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Lesotho.
Historical timeline of Lesotho
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Lesotho — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Lesotho's power score?
Lesotho has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.