Rural population density in Lesotho
Lesotho: Rural population density was 515.88 rural population per sq. km of arable land in 2011. ▲ Rising
Latest (2011)
515.88 rural population per sq. km of arable land
Change on year
up 4.6%
World rank
13th
of 53 countries
All-time high
527.84 rural population per sq. km of arable land
in 2003
All-time low
232.35 rural population per sq. km of arable land
in 1961
Years of data
51
1961–2011
Rural population density in Lesotho, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates. Measured in rural population per sq. km of arable land.
Analysis
In 2011, rural population density in Lesotho stood at 515.88 rural population per sq. km of arable land.
That represents a change of up 4.6% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population density in Lesotho peaked at 527.84 rural population per sq. km of arable land in 2003 and was at its lowest, 232.35 rural population per sq. km of arable land, in 1961.
Lesotho ranks 13th of 53 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Rural population density in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | rural population per sq. km of arable land | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 232.35 rural population per sq. km of arable land | — |
| 1962 | 238.44 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 241.41 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 243.13 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 246.32 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 246.54 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 250.32 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 250.74 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 254.67 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 256.55 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 266.36 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +3.8% |
| 1972 | 274.35 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 278.78 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 283.57 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 275.64 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 295.64 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +7.3% |
| 1977 | 373.4 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +26.3% |
| 1978 | 381.55 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 370.81 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -2.8% |
| 1980 | 397.26 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +7.1% |
| 1981 | 399.51 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 424.19 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +6.2% |
| 1983 | 442.69 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +4.4% |
| 1984 | 432.06 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 431.68 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 464.84 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +7.7% |
| 1987 | 415.41 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -10.6% |
| 1988 | 405.08 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -2.5% |
| 1989 | 462.37 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +14.1% |
| 1990 | 444.87 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -3.8% |
| 1991 | 447.05 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 434.23 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 441.6 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 453.36 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 465.71 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 468.33 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 469.68 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 475.15 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 479.9 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 476.26 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 478.36 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 527.4 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +10.3% |
| 2003 | 527.84 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 510.99 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 490.69 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 523.18 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 487.94 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -6.7% |
| 2008 | 443.2 rural population per sq. km of arable land | -9.2% |
| 2009 | 473.9 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +6.9% |
| 2010 | 493.29 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 515.88 rural population per sq. km of arable land | +4.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 244.88 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 232.35 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 254.67 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 9 |
| 1970s | 305.67 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 256.55 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 381.55 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 10 |
| 1980s | 427.51 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 397.26 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 464.84 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 10 |
| 1990s | 457.99 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 434.23 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 479.9 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 10 |
| 2000s | 493.98 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 443.2 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 527.84 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 10 |
| 2010s | 504.58 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 493.29 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 515.88 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 2 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 10 Eritrea 617.16 rural population per sq. km of arable land compare
- 11 Kenya 575.09 rural population per sq. km of arable land compare
- 12 Somalia 540.74 rural population per sq. km of arable land compare
- 14 Ethiopia 482.76 rural population per sq. km of arable land compare
- 15 Eswatini 480.31 rural population per sq. km of arable land compare
- 16 Liberia 475.41 rural population per sq. km of arable land 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)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per capita 0.0021 1000 USD per person (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, annual growth rate -64.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, per capita 0.0003 t per person (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import value, annual growth rate -12.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population density in Lesotho?
- Rural population density in Lesotho was 515.88 rural population per sq. km of arable land in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates.
- What is the highest rural population density recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 527.84 rural population per sq. km of arable land in 2003.
- What is the lowest rural population density recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 232.35 rural population per sq. km of arable land in 1961.
- How does Lesotho rank for rural population density?
- Lesotho ranks 13th out of 53 countries with data for 2011.
- Is rural population density rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates, published as part of Rural population density (rural population per sq. km of arable land). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Rural population density is the rural population divided by the arable land area. Rural population is calculated as the difference between the total population and the urban population. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded.