Country explorer: Lesotho

Lesotho has seen a substantial transformation in its economy, evidenced by GDP per capita growth, shifts in poverty thresholds, fluctuating unemployment rates, and varied inflation levels, mirroring challenges and progress similar to its lower-middle-income peers, yet with distinctive strides in reducing extreme poverty and unemployment amidst fluctuating economic conditions.

Lesotho has experienced demographic shifts characterized by a gradual increase in population, a decreasing fertility rate from 3.7 children per woman in 2000 to 3.0 in 2022, and an improved life expectancy despite fluctuations, rising from 48.4 years in 2000 to 53.1 years in 2022, reflecting common challenges and progress in healthcare similar to those faced by other lower-middle-income countries.

Lesotho has shown incremental yet substantial progress in improving basic needs such as access to electricity, clean cooking fuels, safely managed drinking water, and sanitation, reflecting a slow but steady societal transformation toward improved living conditions, akin to trends observed in lower-middle-income countries.

Lesotho has experienced moderate progress in human development, marked by gradual improvements in health, education, and standard of living, although at a pace that reflects both its unique challenges and commonalities with other lower-middle-income countries.

Lesotho has seen moderate environmental shifts with stable forest coverage, modest changes in renewable freshwater resources per capita, slightly decreasing CO₂ emissions, and renewable energy sources like hydro remaining the cornerstone of electricity production, reflecting a combination of resilience and sustainability efforts akin to those of similar lower-middle-income countries.

Lesotho has exhibited a notable increase in internet usage and mobile phone subscriptions, indicating significant strides in digital connectivity, although its research and development spending and scientific publications per capita remain modest, reflecting broader challenges faced by many lower-middle-income countries in elevating their technological and innovative capacities.

Over the last two decades, Lesotho has witnessed a modest decrease in both the share of the population born in another country and its gender inequality index, alongside slight improvements in self-reported life satisfaction and a steady decline in the age dependency ratio, revealing gradual socio-economic progress within a context of continuity and change.

Lesotho has exhibited notable improvements in governance through increases in its rule of law, reductions in corruption perceptions, and advancements in political civil liberties and press freedom, distinguishing itself with a higher degree of progress in governance and rule-based systems compared to several of its peers.