Lesotho (Kingdom of Lesotho)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Lesotho Kingdom of Lesotho
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	140th 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	27.4
2	Norway	27.6
3	Sweden	30.4
	...
137	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	107.9
138	Nauru	108.2
139	Tuvalu	108.4
140	Lesotho	108.5
141	Micronesia	108.6
142	Zambia	111.5
143	Samoa	112.0
144	Sao Tome & Principe	113.0
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	89.7
q=198.

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:

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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

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.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
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.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
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
32=	Tanzania	06.2
32=	Sao Tome & Principe	06.2
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
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.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
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 #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #lesotho #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	S. Africa	55.8
2	Seychelles	64.8
3	Cape Verde	66.8
	...
8	Ghana	84.9
9	Mali	86.8
10	Botswana	90.9
11	Lesotho	92.9
12	Kenya	93.8
13	Tunisia	94.8
14	Benin	96.1
15	Mozambique	97.5
16	Uganda	97.8
	Africa Avg	110.0
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	8.5
2	Denmark	13.5
3	Norway	13.5
	...
96	Haiti	90.4
97	Nepal	90.8
98	Botswana	90.9
99	Lesotho	92.9
100	Kenya	93.8
101	Tunisia	94.8
102	Azerbaijan	95.1
103	Sri Lanka	95.3
	World Avg	87.8
q=200.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, The Vatican City and Sudan₂₀.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on supporting press freedom, eliminating 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 Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are Melanesia, The Middle East and Micronesia₂₀.

For more, see:

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

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2013₂₁
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
77	Nicaragua	2831
78	Benin	2833
79	Dominican Rep.	2834
80	Lesotho	2836
81	Bhutan	2842
82	Togo	2845
83	Greece	2846
84	Kosovo	2847
	Africa Avg	3511
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		2018 % Victims₂₂
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
	...
83	Kyrgyzstan	0.41
84	Cyprus	0.42
85=	Kazakhstan	0.42
85=	Lesotho	0.42
87	Georgia	0.43
88=	Romania	0.43
89	Vietnam	0.45
90=	Azerbaijan	0.45
	Africa Avg	0.96
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2014 Rank₂₃
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
80=	Colombia	2.5
80=	Nauru	2.5
80=	Lesotho	2.5
80=	Namibia	2.5
80=	Brazil	2.5
80=	Bhutan	2.5
86	Liberia	3.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₄
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₄
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
53	Switzerland	19
54=	UK	19
54=	Venezuela	19
54=	Lesotho	19
54=	Rwanda	19
54=	Finland	19
54=	Netherlands	19
54=	Nicaragua	19
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₅
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)₂₆

Gender Equality:

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

See:

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₇
Pos.		2015₂₇
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
129	Tanzania	0.54
130	Pakistan	0.55
131	Ghana	0.55
132	Lesotho	0.55
133	Syria	0.55
134	Togo	0.56
135	Kenya	0.56
136	Egypt	0.57
	Africa Avg	0.54
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

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
150=	Botswana	1965
151	Tuvalu	1967
152=	Kiribati	1967
152=	Ecuador	1967
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better₂₈
Pos.		2017 Score₂₈
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
98=	Cambodia	15
98=	Vanuatu	15
98=	Congo, DR	15
98=	Lesotho	15
98=	Belize	15
98=	Belarus	15
98=	Kyrgyzstan	15
105	Jordan	12
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₉
Pos.		2021₂₉
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
	...
87	Canada	2.8
88	Switzerland	3.0
89=	Belize	3.0
89=	Lesotho	3.0
89=	Laos	3.0
89=	Grenada	3.0
89=	Finland	3.0
89=	Panama	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 (2020)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Morocco	67.9
2	Tunisia	74.4
3	Mauritius	74.6
	...
21	S. Africa	108.3
22	Kenya	108.5
23	Botswana	108.9
24	Lesotho	109.3
25	Zambia	110.8
26	Tanzania	111.0
27=	Senegal	112.0
28	Mauritania	112.6
29	Sierra Leone	113.0
	Africa Avg	111.1
q=54.

Health (2020)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Maldives	41.7
3	Sri Lanka	43.1
	...
148	S. Africa	108.3
149	Kenya	108.5
150	Botswana	108.9
151	Lesotho	109.3
152	Venezuela	109.5
153	Jamaica	109.8
154	Zambia	110.8
155	Tanzania	111.0
	World Avg	95.1
q=198.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, The Maldives and Sri Lanka₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, The Marshall Islands and Nigeria₃₁.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₃₁.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Lesotho is a pretty unhealthy country. Lesotho comes in the best 20 in its smoking rate₃₂. It does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate₃₃ (but high for Africa). But unfortunately Lesotho gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄ (still good for Africa), its immunizations take-up₃₅ (still good for Africa), its fertility rate₁₅ (still low for Africa) and in its adolescent birth rate₂₇. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its average life expectancy₁₁ (amongst the lowest in Africa). The prevalence 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.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₃
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
77=	Myanmar (Burma)	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 best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
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.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2014₃₂
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
14	Mozambique	82
15	Nepal	83
16	Afghanistan	84
17	Lesotho	88
18	Trinidad & Tobago	97
19	Burundi	98
20	Tanzania	101
21	Liberia	104
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
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 better₃₆
Pos.		2016 %₃₆
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
62	Zimbabwe	38.2
63	Swaziland	38.4
64	Djibouti	38.6
65	Lesotho	38.7
66	Gabon	40.2
67	Namibia	40.6
68	Brunei	41.2
69	Malaysia	42.5
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₂₇
Pos.		2015 Per 1000₂₇
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
158	Kenya	90.9
159	Central African Rep.	91.9
160	Togo	92.0
161	Lesotho	92.7
162	Dominican Rep.	97.9
163	Gabon	99.9
164	Somalia	103.9
165	Cameroon	104.6
	Africa Avg	87.5
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₅
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₅
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
108=	Australia	92.1
108=	Barbados	92.1
110	Ghana	91.7
111=	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.

6. Lesotho's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Africa (2023)₃₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₇
1	Seychelles	55.3
2	Kenya	57.4
3=	Zambia	57.6
	...
41	Swaziland	102.3
42	Botswana	106.8
43	S. Africa	106.8
44	Lesotho	109.7
45	Sao Tome & Principe	110.3
46	Congo, (Brazzaville)	111.8
47	Mauritania	114.5
48=	S. Sudan	118.0
49	Zimbabwe	119.0
	Africa Avg	90.1
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)₃₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₇
1	Japan	33.2
2	Philippines	45.0
3	Uruguay	48.0
	...
155=	Nauru	108.0
155=	Samoa	108.0
157	Latvia	109.0
158	Lesotho	109.7
159	Sao Tome & Principe	110.3
160	Turkmenistan	110.8
161	USA	111.0
162	Grenada	111.3
	World Avg	85.7
q=188.

Lesotho comes 158th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 4 data sets. Lesotho does better than average for reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₈ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₉. Lesotho does worse than average in terms of how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its environmental performance₄₀ (one of the worst in Africa).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₃₉
Pos.		Total₃₉
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 better₄₀
Pos.		2018₄₀
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.

Convention on Biological Diversity Earlier is better
Pos.		Total Signed
1=	China	1993 Dec 29
1=	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
1=	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
107	Sierra Leone	1995 Mar 12
108	Lebanon	1995 Mar 15
109	Jamaica	1995 Apr 06
110	Lesotho	1995 Apr 10
111	Panama	1995 Apr 17
112	Ukraine	1995 May 08
113	Oman	1995 May 09
114	Cambodia	1995 May 10
	Africa Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2021 kg₃₈
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.

7. Lesotho's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to Africa (2020)₄₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₁
1	S. Africa	54.1
2	Egypt	71.3
3	Tunisia	74.3
	...
37	Congo, DR	132.6
38	Benin	134.4
39	Mauritania	134.7
40	Lesotho	137.2
41	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137.4
42	Burundi	139.0
43	Madagascar	142.5
44	Gambia	144.0
45	Central African Rep.	146.3
	Africa Avg	120.2
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₁
1	Finland	7.7
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	14.7
	...
183	Benin	134.4
184	Mauritania	134.7
185	Afghanistan	136.7
186	Lesotho	137.2
187	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137.4
188	Cambodia	138.7
189	Burundi	139.0
190	Madagascar	142.5
	World Avg	82.7
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₄₂
2	Israel	4.11₄₂
3	Japan	3.58₄₂
	...
119=	Honduras	0.04₄₃
119=	Guatemala	0.04₄₄
119=	Bahrain	0.04₄₅
119=	Colombia	0.04₄₅
123	Iraq	0.03₄₆
124=	El Salvador	0.03₄₄
124=	China	0.03₄₅
126	Lesotho	0.01₄₆
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2018₄₇
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 better₄₈
Pos.		2021 Years₄₈
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.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
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.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₄₉
Pos.		2016₄₉
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 better₅₀
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₀
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. National Culture

#corruption #happiness #politics

Corruption Higher is better₅₁
Pos.		2022 Points₅₁
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
97	Tanzania	38.0
98=	Morocco	38.0
99	Ivory Coast	37.0
100=	Lesotho	37.0
101	Serbia	36.0
102=	Peru	36.0
102=	Turkey	36.0
102=	Sri Lanka	36.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better₅₂
Pos.		2018 Score₅₂
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
138	Ukraine	4.1
139	Togo	4.0
140	Guinea	4.0
141	Lesotho	3.8
142	Angola	3.8
143	Madagascar	3.8
144	Zimbabwe	3.7
145	Afghanistan	3.6
	Africa Avg	4.29
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
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.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
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.

9. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better₅₃
Pos.		2023 Score₅₃
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.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
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 better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
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 better₅₄
Pos.		2019 Score₅₄
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.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₅₅
Pos.		2019₅₅
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 better₅₆
Pos.		2023 %₅₆
1	Slovakia	24.1%₅₇
2	Slovenia	24.3%₅₇
3	Belarus	24.4%₅₈
	...
145	Ecuador	44.6%₅₉
146=	Congo, DR	44.7%₅₈
146=	Venezuela	44.7%₆₀
148	Lesotho	44.9%₆₁
149	Paraguay	45.1%₆₂
150	Comoros	45.3%₆₃
151	Nicaragua	46.2%₆₃
152	Costa Rica	46.7%₅₉
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

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 better₆₄
Pos.		2018 Severity₆₄
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.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₆₅:

Christian	96.8%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	3.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%₆₆.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems