People not using improved drinking water sources in Lesotho
Lesotho: People not using improved drinking water sources was 295,027 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources 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 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for people not using improved drinking water sources in Lesotho is 295,027 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Lesotho peaked at 478,838 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 295,027 people, in 2024.
That places Lesotho 77th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People not using improved drinking water sources in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 478,838 people | — |
| 2001 | 467,965 people | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 456,422 people | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 444,187 people | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 431,118 people | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 417,335 people | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 405,847 people | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 398,104 people | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 391,311 people | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 384,631 people | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 378,031 people | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 371,754 people | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 366,225 people | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 360,859 people | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 355,565 people | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 350,241 people | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 344,939 people | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 339,575 people | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 333,955 people | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 328,014 people | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 321,932 people | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 315,566 people | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 308,820 people | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 301,986 people | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 295,027 people | -2.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 295,027 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 912,712 people, 32% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 295,027 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.99 million people, 15% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 427,576 people | 384,631 people | 478,838 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 352,916 people | 328,014 people | 378,031 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 308,666 people | 295,027 people | 321,932 people | 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 people not using improved drinking water sources in Lesotho?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Lesotho was 295,027 people 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 people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 478,838 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 295,027 people in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Lesotho ranks 77th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 People not using improved drinking water sources. 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
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.