Employment in Lesotho
Lesotho: Employment was 744.4 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Employment in Lesotho, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 744.4 for employment in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Lesotho peaked at 744.4 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 654.97, in 1991.
Lesotho ranks 150th of 188 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Employment in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 654.97 | — |
| 1992 | 667.27 | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 678.23 | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 689.61 | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 699.76 | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 711.35 | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 720.07 | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 727.84 | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 732.79 | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 734.64 | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 735.31 | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 733.59 | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 730.25 | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 723.49 | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 716.34 | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 711.14 | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 712.25 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 713.68 | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 711.58 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 712.08 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 712.11 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 716.09 | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 715.89 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 708.78 | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 701.45 | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 696.67 | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 690.1 | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 683.89 | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 676.91 | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 668.54 | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 676.57 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 709.16 | +4.8% |
| 2023 | 723.02 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 735.26 | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 744.4 | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 697.99 | 654.97 | 732.79 | 9 |
| 2000s | 722.23 | 711.14 | 735.31 | 10 |
| 2010s | 701.4 | 676.91 | 716.09 | 10 |
| 2020s | 709.49 | 668.54 | 744.4 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 147 Latvia 888.91 compare
- 148 Guinea-Bissau 875.18 compare
- 149 Gambia 754.62 compare
- 151 Cyprus 732.34 compare
- 152 Trinidad and Tobago 696.07 compare
- 153 North Macedonia 689.92 compare
More work & labour data for Lesotho
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1902 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1964 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1849 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.293 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.37 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1,485 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,719 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,674 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,586 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3,259 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Lesotho?
- Employment in Lesotho was 744.4 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 744.4 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 654.97 in 1991.
- How does Lesotho rank for employment?
- Lesotho ranks 150th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.