Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Lesotho

Lesotho: Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) was 31.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
31.0%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
49th
of 187 countries
All-time high
31.5%
in 2019
All-time low
13.8%
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Lesotho, 1991–2025

01020301991200820251991: 13.81992: 14.31993: 14.61994: 15.11995: 15.51996: 16.11997: 16.81998: 17.21999: 17.62000: 18.52001: 192002: 19.52003: 20.42004: 20.92005: 21.82006: 22.82007: 23.62008: 24.72009: 24.62010: 262011: 272012: 28.22013: 28.72014: 29.42015: 30.12016: 30.72017: 30.52018: 30.72019: 31.52020: 30.42021: 30.62022: 30.72023: 30.72024: 312025: 31

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Lesotho is 31.0%, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Lesotho peaked at 31.5% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 1991.

Lesotho ranks 49th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.

Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Lesotho, year by year

Annual values for Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Lesotho, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 13.8%
1992 14.3% +3.4%
1993 14.6% +2.2%
1994 15.1% +3.9%
1995 15.5% +2.1%
1996 16.1% +4.3%
1997 16.8% +4.0%
1998 17.2% +2.5%
1999 17.6% +2.2%
2000 18.5% +5.1%
2001 19.0% +3.0%
2002 19.5% +2.3%
2003 20.4% +4.9%
2004 20.9% +2.7%
2005 21.8% +4.2%
2006 22.8% +4.3%
2007 23.6% +3.8%
2008 24.7% +4.6%
2009 24.6% -0.2%
2010 26.0% +5.3%
2011 27.0% +3.9%
2012 28.2% +4.7%
2013 28.7% +1.6%
2014 29.4% +2.4%
2015 30.1% +2.7%
2016 30.7% +1.7%
2017 30.5% -0.6%
2018 30.7% +0.7%
2019 31.5% +2.5%
2020 30.4% -3.3%
2021 30.6% +0.5%
2022 30.7% +0.5%
2023 30.7% +0.1%
2024 31.0% +0.8%
2025 31.0% +0.2%

Lesotho compared with similar countries

  • Lesotho's 31.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 20.1%, 1.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Lesotho's 31.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.8%, 1.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 15.7% 13.8% 17.6% 9
2000s 21.6% 18.5% 24.7% 10
2010s 29.3% 26.0% 31.5% 10
2020s 30.7% 30.4% 31.0% 6

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 46 New Caledonia 31.4% compare
  2. 47 Trinidad and Tobago 31.4% compare
  3. 48 Armenia 31.2% compare
  4. 50 Malaysia 30.8% compare
  5. 51 Mongolia 30.4% compare
  6. 52 Eswatini 30.0% compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More work & labour data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Lesotho?
Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Lesotho was 31.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment in industry, male (% of male employment) recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 31.5% in 2019.
What is the lowest employment in industry, male (% of male employment) recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 1991.
How does Lesotho rank for employment in industry, male (% of male employment)?
Lesotho ranks 49th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
Is employment in industry, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-in-industry-male-percent-of-male-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,211 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The industry sector consists of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities (electricity, gas, and water), in accordance with divisions 2-5 (ISIC 2) or categories C-F (ISIC 3) or categories B-F (ISIC 4).