Unemployment rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Unemployment rate was 16.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rate in Lesotho, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 16.3% for unemployment rate in 2025.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Lesotho peaked at 18.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 15.4%, in 1992.
That places Lesotho 14th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.7% | 15.4% | 16.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 16.1% | 15.9% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.2% | 15.8% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.0% | 16.3% | 18.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More work & labour data for Lesotho
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 0 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 57.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 66.9% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 71.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 48.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 59.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 68.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 50.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Lesotho?
- Unemployment rate in Lesotho was 16.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 18.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.4% in 1992.
- How does Lesotho rank for unemployment rate?
- Lesotho ranks 14th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.