Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Employment in industry (% of total employment) was 33.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Lesotho, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 33.0% for employment in industry (% of total employment) in 2025.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Lesotho peaked at 34.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 1991.
Lesotho ranks 9th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 13.8% | — |
| 1992 | 14.3% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 14.5% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 15.0% | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 15.3% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 15.9% | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 16.5% | +4.0% |
| 1998 | 17.0% | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 17.4% | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 18.4% | +5.5% |
| 2001 | 19.2% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 19.7% | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 20.9% | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 21.6% | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 22.7% | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 23.9% | +5.4% |
| 2007 | 25.0% | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 26.3% | +5.2% |
| 2009 | 26.5% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 27.8% | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 29.0% | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 30.4% | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 31.0% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 31.8% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 32.7% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 33.5% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 33.3% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 33.5% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 34.4% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 33.3% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 33.0% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 33.1% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 33.0% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 33.1% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 33.0% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.5% | 13.8% | 17.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 22.4% | 18.4% | 26.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.7% | 27.8% | 34.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.1% | 33.0% | 33.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
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 industry (% of total employment) in Lesotho?
- Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Lesotho was 33.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 34.4% in 2019.
- What is the lowest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 1991.
- How does Lesotho rank for employment in industry (% of total employment)?
- Lesotho ranks 9th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in industry (% of total employment) rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. 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 (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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).