What is the difference in non-agricultural population between Botswana and Lesotho?

171,000 FAO, number, with Lesotho ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?

33 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2012.

Where does this data come from?

Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as Non-agricultural population (FAO, number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Botswana vs Lesotho: Non-agricultural population

Botswana

1.20 million FAO, number

in 2012

Lesotho

1.37 million FAO, number

in 2012

Botswana rank

42nd

Lesotho rank

39th

Non-agricultural population over time

Botswana
Lesotho

How they compare

Lesotho currently reports 1.37 million FAO, number against 1.20 million FAO, number in Botswana, a difference of 171,000 FAO, number.

That makes Lesotho's figure about 1.1 times Botswana's.

Across all 33 years both countries report, Lesotho has been ahead every year.

Botswana ranks 42nd and Lesotho ranks 39th of 53 countries.

Lesotho has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Botswana	Lesotho	Difference	Ahead
1980s	540,000 FAO, number	814,400 FAO, number	274,400 FAO, number	Lesotho
1990s	865,300 FAO, number	1.01 million FAO, number	149,400 FAO, number	Lesotho
2000s	1.06 million FAO, number	1.22 million FAO, number	162,800 FAO, number	Lesotho
2010s	1.18 million FAO, number	1.35 million FAO, number	168,333 FAO, number	Lesotho

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher non-agricultural population, Botswana or Lesotho?: Lesotho, at 1.37 million FAO, number against 1.20 million FAO, number in Botswana as of 2012.
What is the difference in non-agricultural population between Botswana and Lesotho?: 171,000 FAO, number, with Lesotho ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?: 33 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2012.
How do Botswana and Lesotho rank globally for non-agricultural population?: Botswana ranks 42nd and Lesotho ranks 39th of 53 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as Non-agricultural population (FAO, number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Non-agricultural population (FAO, number)
Unit: FAO, number
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 59 places, 1,934 data points, 1980–2012
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The non-agricultural population is obtained as a residual of agricultural population from the total population.