Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 34.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Lesotho, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 34.6% for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Lesotho peaked at 69.8% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 34.6%, in 2025.
That places Lesotho 116th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 69.8% | — |
| 1991 | 69.7% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 69.5% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 69.2% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 68.7% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 68.1% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 67.5% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 66.7% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 65.8% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 64.7% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 63.4% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 62.1% | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 60.7% | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 59.3% | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 57.9% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 56.5% | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 55.1% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 53.7% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 52.3% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 50.8% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 49.4% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 48.0% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 46.6% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 45.1% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 43.5% | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 41.8% | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 40.2% | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 38.5% | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 37.0% | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 35.4% | -4.2% |
| 2020 | 35.1% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 35.4% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 35.2% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 35.1% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 35.0% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 34.6% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 68.0% | 64.7% | 69.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.2% | 50.8% | 63.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.5% | 35.4% | 49.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.1% | 34.6% | 35.4% | 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 labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Lesotho?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Lesotho was 34.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 69.8% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.6% in 2025.
- How does Lesotho rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Lesotho ranks 116th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.