Employment rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Employment rate was 47.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment rate in Lesotho, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, employment rate in Lesotho stood at 47.8%.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate in Lesotho peaked at 62.3% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 46.5%, in 2021.
That places Lesotho 152nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment rate in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 62.3% | — |
| 1992 | 62.3% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 62.1% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 62.0% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 61.8% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 61.8% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 61.6% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 61.4% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 61.1% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 60.7% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 60.3% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 59.9% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 59.5% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 58.9% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 58.6% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 58.1% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 57.7% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 57.3% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 56.7% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 56.2% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 55.7% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 55.4% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 54.9% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 53.7% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 52.6% | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 51.6% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 50.4% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 49.2% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 47.9% | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 46.6% | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 46.5% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 47.9% | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 48.1% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 48.0% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 47.8% | -0.5% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 47.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 54.4%, 88% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 47.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 58.8%, 81% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 61.8% | 61.1% | 62.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 58.8% | 56.7% | 60.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.8% | 47.9% | 56.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.5% | 46.5% | 48.1% | 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 rate in Lesotho?
- Employment rate in Lesotho was 47.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 62.3% in 1992.
- What is the lowest employment rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.5% in 2021.
- How does Lesotho rank for employment rate?
- Lesotho ranks 152nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.