Labor force (15-64 years), total in Lesotho

Lesotho: Labor force (15-64 years), total was 1.05 million in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
1.05 million
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
42nd
of 52 countries
All-time high
1.05 million
in 2011
All-time low
639,000
in 1990
Years of data
22
1990–2011

Labor force (15-64 years), total in Lesotho, 1990–2011

0250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M1990200020111990: 639.0k1991: 653.0k1992: 665.0k1993: 679.0k1994: 694.0k1995: 711.0k1996: 730.0k1997: 750.0k1998: 770.0k1999: 790.0k2000: 918.3k2001: 923.4k2002: 928.5k2003: 934.0k2004: 940.3k2005: 947.7k2006: 957.0k2007: 967.3k2008: 978.4k2009: 1.0M2010: 1.0M2011: 1.0M

Source: International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database.

Analysis

In 2011, labor force (15-64 years), total in Lesotho stood at 1.05 million. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 13.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force (15-64 years), total in Lesotho peaked at 1.05 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 639,000, in 1990.

That places Lesotho 42nd out of 52 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Labor force (15-64 years), total in Lesotho, year by year

Annual values for Labor force (15-64 years), total in Lesotho, 1990 to 2011.
Year Value Change
1990 639,000
1991 653,000 +2.2%
1992 665,000 +1.8%
1993 679,000 +2.1%
1994 694,000 +2.2%
1995 711,000 +2.4%
1996 730,000 +2.7%
1997 750,000 +2.7%
1998 770,000 +2.7%
1999 790,000 +2.6%
2000 918,260 +16.2%
2001 923,350 +0.6%
2002 928,479 +0.6%
2003 934,037 +0.6%
2004 940,316 +0.7%
2005 947,653 +0.8%
2006 957,045 +1.0%
2007 967,272 +1.1%
2008 978,369 +1.1%
2009 1.00 million +2.3%
2010 1.02 million +2.3%
2011 1.05 million +2.0%

Lesotho compared with similar countries

  • Lesotho's 1.05 million is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.47 million, 19% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
  • Lesotho's 1.05 million is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.03 million, 21% of the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 708,100 639,000 790,000 10
2000s 949,604 918,260 1.00 million 10
2010s 1.03 million 1.02 million 1.05 million 2

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 39 Mauritania 1.30 million compare
  2. 40 Botswana 1.22 million compare
  3. 41 Namibia 1.10 million compare
  4. 43 Gambia 872,199 compare
  5. 44 Guinea-Bissau 744,981 compare
  6. 45 Mauritius 675,951 compare

See the full ranking of 58 places →

More work & labour data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force (15-64 years), total in Lesotho?
Labor force (15-64 years), total in Lesotho was 1.05 million in 2011, according to International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database.
What is the highest labor force (15-64 years), total recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 1.05 million in 2011.
What is the lowest labor force (15-64 years), total recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 639,000 in 1990.
How does Lesotho rank for labor force (15-64 years), total?
Lesotho ranks 42nd out of 52 countries with data for 2011.
Is labor force (15-64 years), total rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database, published as part of Labor force (15-64 years), total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labor force (15-64 years), total in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-15-64-years-total/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force (15-64 years), total
Source
International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
58 places, 1,276 data points, 1990–2011
Last refreshed

The labor force comprising people ages 15 to 64 who meet the International Labour Organization definition of the economically active population: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes both the employed and the unemployed. While national practices vary in the treatment of such groups as the armed forces and seasonal or part-time workers, in general the labor force includes the armed forces, the unemployed, and first-time job-seekers, but excludes homemakers and other unpaid caregivers and workers in the informal sector.