Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Lesotho
Lesotho: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source was 78.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source 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
The most recent figure for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Lesotho is 78.1%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Lesotho peaked at 78.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 64.4%, in 2000.
Lesotho ranks 195th of 231 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 64.4% | — |
| 2001 | 65.0% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 65.5% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 66.1% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 66.7% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 67.2% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 67.8% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 68.4% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 68.9% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 69.5% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 70.1% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 70.6% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 71.2% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 71.7% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 72.3% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 72.9% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 73.4% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 74.0% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 74.6% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 75.1% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 75.7% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 76.3% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 76.9% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 77.5% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 78.1% | +0.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 78.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 85.4%, 91% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 78.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.2%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 66.9% | 64.4% | 69.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.6% | 70.1% | 75.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.9% | 75.7% | 78.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 192 Djibouti 79.7% compare
- 193 Kiribati 79.1% compare
- 194 Liberia 78.8% compare
- 196 Sao Tome and Principe 78.0% compare
- 197 Mauritania 77.3% compare
- 198 Cote d'Ivoire 77.2% compare
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 share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Lesotho?
- Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Lesotho was 78.1% 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 share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 78.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.4% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Lesotho ranks 195th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.0%. 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 Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source. 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 who use an improved drinking water source, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.