Lesotho (Kingdom of Lesotho)

https://www.humantruth.info/lesotho.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Lesotho Kingdom of Lesotho
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	135th best
Capital	Maseru
Land Area	30 360km²₁
Location	Africa
Population	2.1m₂
Life Expectancy	53.06yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$2 700 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	LS, LSO, 426₅
Internet Domain	.ls₆
Currency	Loti (LSL)₇
Telephone	+266₈

1. Overview

“Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In May 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parites saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Tiny Lesotho is Africa´s `Kingdom in the Sky´, home to traditional Basotho culture where herdboys tend their sheep on steep hillsides and horsemen wrapped in blankets ride mountain passes. Lesotho (Le- soo -too) is a vastly underrated travel destination. It´s beautiful, culturally rich, safe, cheap and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg. The hiking and trekking is world class and the national parks´ infrastructure continues to improve.
The 1000m-high `lowlands´ are the scene of low-key Lesotho life, with good craft shopping around Teyateyaneng and Maseru. But be sure to head to the valleys and mountains, where streams traverse an ancient dinosaur playground.
South Africa is just a mountain pass or two away, but Lesotho´s towering peaks and isolated valleys, and the pride of the Basotho in their identity, have served to insulate Lesotho´s culture from that of its larger neighbour. For anyone seeking adventure, wilderness, a laid-back pace and the chance to get acquainted with people living traditional lifestyles, Lesotho is a magical destination.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Lesotho National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
165	Rwanda	0.534
166=	Benin	0.525
166=	Uganda	0.525
168	Lesotho	0.514
169	Malawi	0.512
170	Senegal	0.511
171	Djibouti	0.509
172	Sudan	0.508
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
164	Vanuatu	$3 085
165	Congo, (Brazzaville)	$2 889
166	Haiti	$2 848
167	Lesotho	$2 700
168	Tanzania	$2 664
169	Solomon Islands	$2 482
170	Guinea	$2 481
171	Ethiopia	$2 361
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
132	Vanuatu	104.0
133	Tajikistan	104.6
134	Namibia	105.6
135	Lesotho	105.7
136	Rwanda	106.3
137	Turkmenistan	106.4
138	Bangladesh	106.6
139	N. Korea	106.9
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

Progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 10% hold 41% of the country's entire income₁₃.

3. Lesotho's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Lesotho's population is predicted to rise to 2.566 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.98. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₄. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₅

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
142	Gambia	2.3m
143	Botswana	2.3m
144	Gabon	2.1m
145	Lesotho	2.1m
146	Macedonia	2.1m
147	Slovenia	2.1m
148	Latvia	1.9m
149	Guinea-Bissau	1.9m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
194	Nigeria	52.7
195	Chad	52.5
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₆
Pos.		2022₁₆
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
144	Egypt	2.88
145	Israel	2.89
146	Singapore	1.04
147	Lesotho	2.98
148	British Virgin Islands	1.02
149	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	3.05
150	Kazakhstan	3.05
151	Puerto Rico	0.90
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₇
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₇
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
26	Iraq	06.0
27=	Guinea	06.1
27=	Guinea-Bissau	06.1
27=	Lesotho	06.1
27=	Kenya	06.1
31=	S. Sudan	06.2
31=	Tanzania	06.2
31=	Sao Tome & Principe	06.2
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₈
Pos.		2017 %₁₈
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
180	Brazil	0.4%
181	Eritrea	0.3%
182	Somalia	0.3%
183	Lesotho	0.3%
184	Peru	0.3%
185	Colombia	0.3%
186	Morocco	0.3%
187	Philippines	0.2%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₉
Pos.		2010 %₁₉
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
26	Moldova	21.5%
27	Fiji	21.3%
28	Portugal	20.8%
29	Lesotho	20.5%
30	El Salvador	20.5%
31	Micronesia	19.7%
32	Belarus	18.4%
33	Eritrea	18.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Lesotho's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #greece #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #lesotho #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)₂₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₀
1	Cape Verde	66.3
2	S. Africa	70.7
3	Mauritius	74.9
4	Seychelles	82.0
5	Namibia	85.9
6	Ghana	88.7
7	Botswana	90.0
8	Lesotho	91.9
9	Burkina Faso	93.3
10	Senegal	95.2
11	Madagascar	98.8
12	Rwanda	102.5
13	Mali	102.9
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₂₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₀
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
94	St Lucia	90.3
95	Palau	91.4
96	Guyana	91.5
97	Lesotho	91.9
98	Dominica	92.0
99	Nepal	92.7
100	Nicaragua	93.3
101	Burkina Faso	93.3
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₁. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₁.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₁, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₁.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #lesotho #mass_media #politics #slavery

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₂
Pos.		2025₂₂
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
103	Maldives	52.46
104	Burkina Faso	52.25
105	Zimbabwe	52.10
106	Lesotho	52.07
107	Chad	51.89
108	S. Sudan	51.63
109	Guinea-Bissau	51.36
110	Haiti	51.06
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		Total Per 1000₂₃
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
10	Finland	1.40
11	Mauritius	1.50
12=	Australia	1.60
12=	Lesotho	1.60
12=	New Zealand	1.60
15	Taiwan	1.70
16=	UK	1.80
16=	Canada	1.80
	Africa Avg	6.90
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₂₄
Pos.		2014 Rank₂₄
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
92	Cape Verde	92
93	Botswana	93
94=	Liberia	94
94=	Lesotho	94
96	Kazakhstan	96
97	Ecuador	97
98	Kyrgyzstan	98
99	Tanzania	99
	Africa Avg	114.2
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
79=	Solomon Islands	2.5
79=	Colombia	2.5
79=	Nauru	2.5
79=	Lesotho	2.5
79=	Namibia	2.5
79=	Brazil	2.5
79=	Bhutan	2.5
86=	Liberia	3.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₅
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₅
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
53=	Switzerland	19
53=	UK	19
53=	Venezuela	19
53=	Lesotho	19
53=	Rwanda	19
53=	Finland	19
53=	Netherlands	19
53=	Nicaragua	19
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₆
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₆
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
79	Bangladesh	9.18
80	Sierra Leone	9.33
81	China	9.36
82	Lesotho	9.44
83	Gabon	9.47
84	Turkey	9.48
85	Malta	9.60
86	Luxembourg	9.67
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Lesotho stated:

“The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dropped murder charges against the former prime minister and first lady. [...] Police brutality, including allegations of torture and other ill-treatment and an unlawful killing, remained a serious concern. Gender-based violence continued to rise while women were marginalized in the economic and political spheres. Access to healthcare was limited, particularly for women and girls in rural areas.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₇

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #women

Lesotho is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2022₂₈
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
139	Tonga	0.55
140	Sudan	0.55
141	Cameroon	0.56
142	Lesotho	0.56
143	Iraq	0.56
144	Madagascar	0.57
145	Togo	0.58
146	Malawi	0.58
	Africa Avg	0.53
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Data starts in 2006, so the 2000s average may be a little skewed due to low number of datapoints.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
146=	Sudan	1964
146=	Libya	1964
146=	Papua New Guinea	1964
149=	Lesotho	1965
149=	Botswana	1965
151=	Tuvalu	1967
151=	Kiribati	1967
151=	Ecuador	1967
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#freethought #greece #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₂₉
Pos.		Total Score₂₉
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
69	Latvia	0.99
70	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.99
71	Belize	0.90
72=	Lesotho	0.89
72=	Seychelles	0.89
74	Botswana	0.88
75	Paraguay	0.84
76	Angola	0.83
	Africa Avg	-3.78
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Lesotho is not a naturally intolerance country. Among men, boukonchana (""boy-wives"") engaged in relationships with older men (numa), often involving sex and domestic roles, in a manner similar to ancient Greece. These relationships were documented well into the 1970s. Women had a similar concept, motsoalle; intimate, long-term female partnerships, sometimes sexual. However, Dutch colonial rulers imposed sodomy laws that made being a male homosexual illegal, but enforcement was inconsistent. Homosexuality in Lesotho has been legal since 2012, though female same-sex activity was never outlawed. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Lesotho had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination. Same-sex marriage and adoption remain unrecognized, and while employment discrimination protections were introduced in 2024, broader protections are still lacking.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		2021₃₀
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
91=	Mexico	3.0
91=	Tuvalu	3.0
91=	Australia	3.0
91=	Lesotho	3.0
91=	Switzerland	3.0
91=	El Salvador	3.0
91=	Serbia	3.0
91=	Cyprus	3.0
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Lesotho's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #lesotho #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #swaziland #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁
1	Mauritius	71.1
2	Tunisia	75.3
3	Seychelles	77.4
	...
16	Gambia	122.7
17	Zimbabwe	125.0
18=	Namibia	125.4
19	Lesotho	125.5
20	Senegal	126.3
21=	Burundi	126.8
22	Swaziland	127.0
23	Djibouti	127.8
24	Congo, (Brazzaville)	129.4
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
157	Zimbabwe	125.0
158=	Bolivia	125.4
158=	Namibia	125.4
160	Lesotho	125.5
161	Senegal	126.3
162	Micronesia	126.6
163=	Burundi	126.8
163=	Haiti	126.8
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₂. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₂.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₂, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₂.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #lesotho #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #swaziland

Lesotho is a pretty unhealthy country. Lesotho does better than average for the prevalence of overweight adults₃₃ (but high for Africa) and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₄ (but high for Africa). But unfortunately Lesotho gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅ (still good for Africa), delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₆ (still high for Africa), its smoking rate₃₇, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₈, its fertility rate₁₆ (still good for Africa) and in its adolescent birth rate₃₉. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 for childhood mortality in the 2020s₄₀ and in its average life expectancy₁₁ (one of the worst in Africa). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Lesotho in 2006-2012 was the worst in the world, hovering at 43-47yrs before improving in the 2010s. Life expectancy in Lesotho has declined by 5.2 years over 30 years from 1990 - the worst overall trend in the world, and one of only two countries with such a long-term reduction in longevity (the other is Eswatini at -2.5yrs). Lesotho's peak fertility rate was 5.93 in 1976.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
194	Nigeria	52.7
195	Chad	52.5
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₄
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
77=	Myanmar	4.8
77=	Zambia	4.8
77=	Zimbabwe	4.8
80	Lesotho	5.0
81	Suriname	5.1
82	Nicaragua	5.2
83	Turkmenistan	5.4
84	Armenia	5.5
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₆
Pos.		2022₁₆
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
144	Egypt	2.88
145	Israel	2.89
146	Singapore	1.04
147	Lesotho	2.98
148	British Virgin Islands	1.02
149	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	3.05
150	Kazakhstan	3.05
151	Puerto Rico	0.90
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		Total %₃₇
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
110	Argentina	23.8%
111	India	24.4%
112	USA	24.4%
113	Lesotho	24.5%
114	Malta	24.8%
115	Egypt	24.8%
116	Austria	24.9%
117	Ukraine	25.0%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
97	Guyana	97
98	Colombia	98
99	Vietnam	99
100	Lesotho	100
101	Tanzania	101
102	Equatorial Guinea	102
103	Barbados	103
104	Venezuela	104
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		1976 %₃₃
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
58	Gabon	12.9
59	Botswana	13.6
60	Japan	15.2
61	Lesotho	15.4
62	Namibia	15.7
63	Swaziland	15.8
64	Zimbabwe	16.3
65=	N. Korea	16.8
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2022 %₄₁
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
69	Maldives	17.6%
70	Afghanistan	17.6%
71	Spain	19.2%
72	Lesotho	19.3%
73	Kazakhstan	19.3%
74	Mauritius	19.5%
75	Norway	19.8%
76	Vanuatu	19.9%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₉
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
166	Venezuela	82.0
167	Nicaragua	84.0
168	Guinea-Bissau	85.8
169	Lesotho	89.1
170	Gabon	89.8
171	Benin	90.8
172	Zimbabwe	92.6
173	S. Sudan	97.4
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₈
Pos.		Total Avg %₃₈
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
114=	New Zealand	91.6
114=	Zambia	91.6
114=	Lithuania	91.6
117	Lesotho	91.4
118	Samoa	91.3
119=	Zimbabwe	91.0
119=	Georgia	91.0
119=	Marshall Islands	91.0
	Africa Avg	82.9
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₃₆
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₆
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
108=	Australia	92.1
108=	Barbados	92.1
110=	Ghana	91.7
110=	Lesotho	91.7
112	Malawi	91.7
113	Mexico	91.6
114	Moldova	91.5
115	Iceland	91.5
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₄₀
Pos.		Total Per 1000₄₀
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
173	Haiti	76.58
174	Pakistan	76.85
175	Togo	77.13
176	Lesotho	77.29
177	Mozambique	78.97
178	Ivory Coast	88.44
179	Cameroon	92.19
180	Liberia	92.51
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Lesotho was the 2nd-worse of only 6 countries that saw its infant mortality rate decline from the 2010s to the 2020s₄₀.

6. Lesotho's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
16	Burkina Faso	63.1
17	Gambia	63.3
18	Senegal	63.4
19	Lesotho	66.1
20	Guinea	67.1
21	Ivory Coast	70.8
22	Togo	71.1
23	Congo, DR	73.0
24	Swaziland	74.2
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
46	Ecuador	65.6
47	Hungary	65.8
48	Guatemala	66.1
49	Lesotho	66.1
50	Mexico	66.3
51	Norway	66.9
52	Guinea	67.1
53	El Salvador	67.4
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₃. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Lesotho is positioned 49th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is computed from 21 data sets. Lesotho does better than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₄, energy to GDP efficiency₄₅ (but bad for Africa) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₆. Lesotho still has work to do. Lesotho does worse than average in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its environmental performance₄₇ (one of the worst in Africa).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		Total₄₆
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
121=	S. Sudan	0.0%
121=	Curaço	0.0%
121=	Turks & Caicos Islands	0.0%
121=	Lesotho	0.0%
121=	Anguilla	0.0%
121=	Jersey	0.0%
121=	Maldives	0.0%
121=	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.0%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2018₄₇
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
170	Angola	37.4
171	Central African Rep.	36.4
172	Niger	35.7
173	Lesotho	33.8
174	Haiti	33.7
175	Madagascar	33.7
176	Nepal	31.4
177	India	30.6
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₅
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₅
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
76	Hungary	1.01
77	Poland	1.01
78	Montenegro	1.03
79	Lesotho	1.03
80	Mauritius	1.03
81	Macedonia	1.04
82	Austria	1.04
83	Japan	1.05
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
139	Saudi Arabia	52%
140	Central African Rep.	52%
141	Mauritania	51%
142	Lesotho	51%
143	Croatia	51%
144	Djibouti	51%
145	Gabon	51%
146	Fiji	51%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₄
Pos.		2021 kg₄₄
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
44	Liberia	20.3
45	Ghana	20.9
46	Haiti	21.6
47	Lesotho	21.7
48	Thailand	26.0
49	Swaziland	27.1
50	Malawi	27.4
51	Tunisia	27.8
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Lesotho's Modernity and Learning

#education #metric #modernity #research #science #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₈
1	S. Africa	58.2
2	Tunisia	63.4
3	Seychelles	64.9
	...
29	Mali	123.2
30	Equatorial Guinea	125.2
31	Tanzania	125.4
32	Lesotho	126.9
33	Central African Rep.	129.2
34	Namibia	129.8
35	Rwanda	130.0
36	Guinea	131.4
37	Guinea-Bissau	131.7
	Africa Avg	119.28
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₈
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
157	Equatorial Guinea	125.2
158	Tanzania	125.4
159	Bahamas	125.5
160	Lesotho	126.9
161	Belize	127.3
162	Kiribati	127.3
163	Central African Rep.	129.2
164	Namibia	129.8
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₉. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₉. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₀.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₅₁

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₉, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₉.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#metric #research #science

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₂
2	Israel	4.11₅₂
3	Japan	3.58₅₂
	...
119=	Honduras	0.04₅₃
119=	Guatemala	0.04₅₄
119=	Bahrain	0.04₅₅
119=	Colombia	0.04₅₅
123=	Iraq	0.03₅₆
123=	El Salvador	0.03₅₄
123=	China	0.03₅₅
126	Lesotho	0.01₅₆
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
145	Qatar	145
146	Philippines	146
147	Mozambique	147
148	Lesotho	148
149	Venezuela	149
150	Libya	150
151	Gabon	151
152	Sierra Leone	152
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		2025 %₅₇
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
113=	Guinea	90
113=	Libya	90
113=	Ethiopia	90
113=	Lesotho	90
113=	Grenada	90
113=	Jamaica	90
113=	Kuwait	90
113=	Indonesia	90
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Adopted metric in 1970. Progression:

1960 (40%): Colonial mix; limited metric outside science.
1970 (60%): Metrication accelerates in official sectors.
1980 (80%): Commerce/education largely metric.
2000 (90%): Metric dominant officially.
2025 (90%).

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2018₅₈
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
140	Morocco	32.2%
141	Uganda	32.1%
142	Angola	30.2%
143	Lesotho	30.0%
144	Cape Verde	29.9%
145	Liberia	29.0%
146	Yemen	28.0%
147	Benin	26.5%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2021 Years₅₉
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
135	Zimbabwe	12.1
136	Iraq	12.1
137	Ghana	12.0
138	Lesotho	12.0
139	Namibia	11.9
140	Comoros	11.9
141	India	11.9
142	Kiribati	11.8
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2016₆₀
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
147	Libya	21%
148	Zimbabwe	21%
149	Equatorial Guinea	21%
150	Lesotho	21%
151	Indonesia	20%
152	Marshall Islands	20%
153	Algeria	20%
154	Nicaragua	19%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₁
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₁
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
146=	Papua New Guinea	0.0
146=	French Polynesia	0.0
146=	Palestine	0.0
146=	Lesotho	0.0
146=	Monaco	0.0
146=	Bermuda	0.0
146=	Isle of Man	0.0
146=	San Marino	0.0
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Lesotho's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#afghanistan #capitalism #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #lebanon #life_expectancy #malawi #namibia #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#afghanistan #corruption #happiness #internationalism #lebanon #politics

Corruption Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2022 Points₆₂
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
97=	Tanzania	38.0
97=	Morocco	38.0
99=	Ivory Coast	37.0
99=	Lesotho	37.0
101=	Serbia	36.0
101=	Peru	36.0
101=	Turkey	36.0
101=	Sri Lanka	36.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Happiness Higher is better₆₃
Pos.		2024 Score₆₃
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
135	Egypt	3.8
136	Tanzania	3.8
137	Swaziland	3.8
138	Lesotho	3.8
139	Comoros	3.8
140	Yemen	3.6
141	Congo, DR	3.5
142	Botswana	3.4
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

After a few years of steady decline, temporarily became the 3^rd unhappiest country in the world in 2023, after Afghanistan and the Lebanon.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
105	Bahrain	105
106	Ecuador	106
107	Uganda	107
108	Lesotho	108
109	Georgia	109
110	Kuwait	110
111	China	111
112	Swaziland	112
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₆₄
Pos.		Total Q₆₄
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
112	Namibia	78.7
113	Belarus	78.5
114	Suriname	77.8
115	Lesotho	77.5
116	Kazakhstan	75.7
117	Swaziland	74.8
118	Malawi	73.8
119	Kenya	72.8
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
64	Honduras	64
65	S. Korea	65
66	Benin	66
67	Lesotho	67
68	Panama	68
69	New Zealand	69
70	Tunisia	70
71	Montenegro	71
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₅
Pos.		2023 Score₆₅
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
108	Bahrain	2.15
109	Swaziland	2.17
110	Benin	2.18
111	Lesotho	2.19
112	Djibouti	2.20
113	Congo, (Brazzaville)	2.21
114	Mauritania	2.23
115	Philippines	2.23
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
99	Lithuania	99
100	Luxembourg	100
101	Niger	101
102	Lesotho	102
103	Antigua & Barbuda	103
104	Latvia	104
105	Laos	105
106	Mozambique	106
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
115	Iraq	115
116	Dominica	116
117	Saudi Arabia	117
118	Lesotho	118
119	Oman	119
120	Egypt	120
121	Colombia	121
122	Honduras	122
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₆₆
Pos.		2019 Score₆₆
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
21	UAE	0.05
22	Slovakia	0.06
23	Norway	0.08
24	Lesotho	0.10
25	Liberia	0.11
26=	Moldova	0.12
26=	Serbia	0.12
26=	Estonia	0.12
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #malawi #namibia #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₇
Pos.		2019₆₇
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
169=	Angola	32.00
170	Haiti	32.20
171	Guinea-Bissau	32.30
172	Lesotho	33.10
173	Ivory Coast	33.30
174	Cameroon	33.50
175	Equatorial Guinea	34.60
176	Benin	34.90
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₆₈
Pos.		2023 %₆₈
1	Slovakia	24.1%₆₉
2	Slovenia	24.3%₆₉
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₀
	...
145	Ecuador	44.6%₇₁
146=	Congo, DR	44.7%₇₀
146=	Venezuela	44.7%₇₂
148	Lesotho	44.9%₇₃
149	Paraguay	45.1%₇₄
150	Comoros	45.3%₇₅
151	Nicaragua	46.2%₇₅
152	Costa Rica	46.7%₇₁
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Lesotho - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019. But it always scores poorly compared to the rest of the world; in the 1980s it was the 5th-most-unequal country (of 63 measured) and in the 1990s was 3rd-worse of 117 (only Namibia and Malawi were worse).

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₇₆
Pos.		2018 Severity₇₆
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
54	Guatemala	.134
55	Zimbabwe	.137
56	Ghana	.138
57	Lesotho	.146
58	Nepal	.148
59	Cambodia	.170
60	Namibia	.171
61	Vanuatu	.174
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₇:

	2010	2020
Christian	97.3%	97.3%
Unaffiliated	1.46%	1.66%
Other	1.06%	0.744%
Muslim	0.136%	0.218%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	None	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%₇₈.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems