Home
Ambassador
Staff
Historical Background
Government Structure
Trade
Tourism
Education
Health
Consular
Contacts
Are you a Mosotho residing in the USA, or just visiting? Click here to register >>>
 

LESOTHO DATASHEET

Demographic Data | Gender and Development | Economic Data |
Migrant Mine Workers | Education | Health and Family Planning

a. Demographic Data                                                                                                   

1. Estimated Population in 2001 

         Total                       Males                                  Females
      2,188,869                  1,081,456                              1,107,413

2. Age Distribution of the Population of Lesotho in 2001

Age

Males

%

Females

%

 

 

 

 

 

00-04

147,185

13.6

143,675

13.0

05-09

150,457

13.9

144,783

13.1

10-14

143,938

13.3

139,787

12.6

15-19

130,160

12.0

127,734

11.5

20-24

112,685

10.4

116,169

10.5

25-29

  84,333

  7.8

  91,625

  8.3

30-34

     62,733          

  5.8

67,035

6.1

35-39

  53,760

  5.0

  58,370

  5.3

40-44

  45,445

  4.2

  49,404

  4.4

45-49

  38,444

  3.6

  40,595

  3.6

50-54

  32,408

  3.0

  32,129

  2.8

55-59

  24,954

  2.3

  26,263

  2.4

60-64

  19,884

  1.8

  21,496

  1.9

65-69

  16,995

  1.6

  21,625

  2.0

70-74

    9,518

  0.9

  12,864

  1.2

75+

    8,557

  0.8

  13,859

  1.3

Total

1,081,456

100       

 1,107,413

100

3. 1996 Lesotho Population

               Total                       Males                        Females

            1,960,069                  964,346                        995,723

4. Percentage of the Population Living in Urban Areas

1986                          1996         

14.0                           17.0

5. Vital Rates in:                 

1986                       

1996  

2001

 

 

 

 

a) Crude Birth Rate (per 1000) 

38       

30     

30(1996)

b) Crude Death Rate (per 1000) 

11.7

12.8 

12.8(1996)

c) Rate of Natural Increase              

2.6           

2.1           

2.0

d) Life Expectancy at Birth

 

 

 

                        Males             

54           

59           

45

                        Females     

57           

60           

54.2

e) Infant Mortality Rate

 

 

 

            (per 1000 live births)

84 

74       

80

                         Rural  

-

80

                         Urban            

-   

-   

52

f) Maternal Mortality Rate

 

 

 

            (per 100 000 live births)  

-  

282 

419

                          Rural

-  

-  

454

                          Urban             

-  

-           

205

 

 

 

 

g) Age Dependency Ratio

-

82.6           

70.2

h) Sex Ratio         

95   

97    

98

i)  Estimated Total Number of

 

 

 

    Live Births    

51305  

72229  

72229(1996)

j)  Doubling Time in Years  

27     

30.3   

33

k) Total Fertility Rate 

5.3           

4.1     

4.3

6. Average Household Size

           1976   1986   1996   2001

            5.0      5.1      5.0      4.5

7. Estimated Female Population in Age Group 15-49 (Reproductive Age Group) in 2001

Total                                                    550,932                                                         

As % of Female Population                   49.7   
As % of Total Population                       25.2

8. Population Density per sq Km

Year   

     Total Area

       Arable Land

1976  

            40       

            306

1986              

            53

            569

1996  

            61   

            588

1998  

            68       

            750

1999  

            69     

            769

2000  

            71    

            785

2001  

            72    

            801    

B. GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT                                                                                         

9. Females to Males Enrolment

                      

1998   

1999  

2000          

Primary School  

52:48 

52:48  

51:49

Secondary School   

59:41    

57:43 

57:43

Technical/Vocational  

45:55 

49:51 

49:51

NTTC                         

76:24           

75:25           

73:27

NUL      

55:45  

54:46

56:44 

10. Teachers by Sex and by Educational Level (as a percentage of the total number of teachers in each category, 2000)

Educational Level  
Males          
Females
N
Primary
19.8   
80.2               
8578   

Secondary                

46.7   

53.3   

3198

11. Percentage Distribution of Heads of Household by Age and Sex, 1996

Age Group   

            Males