Female labor force by age in Lesotho
Lesotho: Female labor force by age was 10,585 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
10,585 people
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
133rd
of 188 countries
All-time high
27,231 people
in 1999
All-time low
10,263 people
in 2021
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Female labor force by age in Lesotho, 1990–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, female labor force by age in Lesotho stood at 10,585 people.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and down 31.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force by age in Lesotho peaked at 27,231 people in 1999 and was at its lowest, 10,263 people, in 2021.
That places Lesotho 133rd out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Female labor force by age in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 24,010 people | — |
| 1991 | 24,412 people | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 24,778 people | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 25,203 people | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 25,527 people | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 25,889 people | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 26,154 people | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 26,464 people | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 26,843 people | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 27,231 people | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 26,877 people | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 26,437 people | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 25,913 people | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 25,316 people | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 24,652 people | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 23,917 people | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 23,098 people | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 22,163 people | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 21,135 people | -4.6% |
| 2009 | 20,095 people | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 19,098 people | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 18,176 people | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 17,341 people | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 16,626 people | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 15,464 people | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 14,318 people | -7.4% |
| 2016 | 13,171 people | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 12,128 people | -7.9% |
| 2018 | 11,171 people | -7.9% |
| 2019 | 10,287 people | -7.9% |
| 2020 | 10,325 people | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 10,263 people | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 10,457 people | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 10,531 people | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 10,585 people | +0.5% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 10,585 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 65,994 people, 16% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 10,585 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 79,623 people, 13% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25,651 people | 24,010 people | 27,231 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 23,960 people | 20,095 people | 26,877 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 14,778 people | 10,287 people | 19,098 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 10,432 people | 10,263 people | 10,585 people | 5 |
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 female labor force by age in Lesotho?
- Female labor force by age in Lesotho was 10,585 people in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female labor force by age recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 27,231 people in 1999.
- What is the lowest female labor force by age recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,263 people in 2021.
- How does Lesotho rank for female labor force by age?
- Lesotho ranks 133rd out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is female labor force by age rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Female labor force by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Working-age population who are economically active (employed or unemployed).