Rural population in Lesotho in 2025 — 1,307,638 people. Ranked 119 in the world out of 217. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 84.3%.
1960–2025 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Lesotho
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.31M | −8,845 | −0.67% |
| 2024 | 1.32M | −8,495 | −0.64% |
| 2023 | 1.32M | −8,501 | −0.64% |
| 2022 | 1.33M | −8,629 | −0.64% |
| 2021 | 1.34M | −7,535 | −0.56% |
| 2020 | 1.35M | −6,841 | −0.5% |
| 2019 | 1.36M | −6,759 | −0.5% |
| 2018 | 1.36M | −5,910 | −0.43% |
| 2017 | 1.37M | −4,803 | −0.35% |
| 2016 | 1.37M | −13,185 | −0.95% |
| 2015 | 1.39M | −13,998 | −1% |
| 2014 | 1.4M | −12,898 | −0.91% |
| 2013 | 1.41M | −12,105 | −0.85% |
| 2012 | 1.43M | −11,558 | −0.8% |
| 2011 | 1.44M | −11,569 | −0.8% |
| 2010 | 1.45M | −11,452 | −0.78% |
| 2009 | 1.46M | −10,318 | −0.7% |
| 2008 | 1.47M | −9,171 | −0.62% |
| 2007 | 1.48M | −11,012 | −0.74% |
| 2006 | 1.49M | −21,791 | −1.44% |
| 2005 | 1.51M | −28,422 | −1.84% |
| 2004 | 1.54M | −24,318 | −1.55% |
| 2003 | 1.57M | −20,164 | −1.27% |
| 2002 | 1.59M | −16,816 | −1.05% |
| 2001 | 1.6M | −13,876 | −0.86% |
| 2000 | 1.62M | −10,581 | −0.65% |
| 1999 | 1.63M | −6,805 | −0.42% |
| 1998 | 1.63M | −2,973 | −0.18% |
| 1997 | 1.64M | +1,641 | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 1.64M | +5,272 | +0.32% |
| 1995 | 1.63M | +6,464 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 1.62M | +7,820 | +0.48% |
| 1993 | 1.62M | +10,205 | +0.64% |
| 1992 | 1.61M | +13,040 | +0.82% |
| 1991 | 1.59M | +15,964 | +1.01% |
| 1990 | 1.58M | +19,247 | +1.24% |
| 1989 | 1.56M | +22,805 | +1.49% |
| 1988 | 1.53M | +26,372 | +1.75% |
| 1987 | 1.51M | +30,316 | +2.05% |
| 1986 | 1.48M | +36,624 | +2.54% |
| 1985 | 1.44M | +40,071 | +2.86% |
| 1984 | 1.4M | +39,411 | +2.89% |
| 1983 | 1.36M | +38,664 | +2.92% |
| 1982 | 1.32M | +37,786 | +2.94% |
| 1981 | 1.29M | +36,805 | +2.95% |
| 1980 | 1.25M | +35,735 | +2.95% |
| 1979 | 1.21M | +34,451 | +2.92% |
| 1978 | 1.18M | +32,947 | +2.88% |
| 1977 | 1.15M | +32,456 | +2.92% |
| 1976 | 1.11M | +34,344 | +3.18% |
| 1975 | 1.08M | +34,320 | +3.29% |
| 1974 | 1.04M | +31,848 | +3.15% |
| 1973 | 1.01M | +30,109 | +3.07% |
| 1972 | 982,251 | +28,944 | +3.04% |
| 1971 | 953,307 | +28,047 | +3.03% |
| 1970 | 925,260 | +27,354 | +3.05% |
| 1969 | 897,906 | +26,820 | +3.08% |
| 1968 | 871,086 | +26,474 | +3.13% |
| 1967 | 844,612 | +25,373 | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 819,239 | +21,664 | +2.72% |
| 1965 | 797,575 | +18,470 | +2.37% |
| 1964 | 779,105 | +17,807 | +2.34% |
| 1963 | 761,298 | +17,444 | +2.35% |
| 1962 | 743,854 | +17,221 | +2.37% |
| 1961 | 726,633 | +17,077 | +2.41% |
| 1960 | 709,556 | — | — |
The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages
The population living outside urban settlements. In the catalog this quantity was present only as a share, while the absolute number shows what the share does not: the world's rural population stopped growing only in the 2020s and still exceeds three billion people, even though the share has been falling for half a century. Each country defines a city itself, so cross-country comparisons of this series call for caution.
Important: It is computed as the difference between total and urban population, and the criterion for a city is national: in some places it is a settlement of two thousand residents, in others twenty thousand. Comparing the trend within a country is more reliable than comparing countries with each other.
Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.
The part of residents living outside cities — the other side of urbanization.
Demography Urban populationThe absolute number of city dwellers by country.
Demography PopulationResident population of every country as of mid-year — series from 1960 onward.
Labor Employment in agricultureThe share of workers employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing.
