Drinking water service usage in Lesotho
Lesotho: Drinking water service usage was 31.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water service usage in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, drinking water service usage in Lesotho stood at 31.3%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 41.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Lesotho peaked at 31.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 2000.
Lesotho ranks 139th of 163 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water service usage in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.7% | — |
| 2001 | 9.6% | +10.4% |
| 2002 | 10.5% | +9.6% |
| 2003 | 11.5% | +9.0% |
| 2004 | 12.4% | +8.4% |
| 2005 | 13.4% | +7.9% |
| 2006 | 14.4% | +7.5% |
| 2007 | 15.4% | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 16.4% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | 17.4% | +6.2% |
| 2010 | 18.4% | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 19.4% | +5.7% |
| 2012 | 20.4% | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 21.3% | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 22.2% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 23.1% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 23.9% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 24.8% | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 25.7% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 26.6% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 27.5% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 28.5% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 29.4% | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 30.4% | +3.2% |
| 2024 | 31.3% | +3.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 31.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 42.9%, 73% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 31.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.4%, 1.1× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.0% | 8.7% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.6% | 18.4% | 26.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.4% | 27.5% | 31.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More environment data for Lesotho
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.284 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.783 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.521 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.4197 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in Lesotho?
- Drinking water service usage in Lesotho was 31.3% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drinking water service usage recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 31.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for drinking water service usage?
- Lesotho ranks 139th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drinking water service usage. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.