Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Lesotho
Lesotho: Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population was 96.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population 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, using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Lesotho stood at 96.7%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Lesotho peaked at 96.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 92.0%, in 2000.
That places Lesotho 153rd out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 92.0% | — |
| 2001 | 92.2% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 92.4% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 92.6% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 92.8% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 93.0% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 93.2% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 93.3% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 93.5% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 93.7% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 93.9% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 94.1% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 94.3% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 94.5% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 94.7% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 94.9% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 95.1% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 95.3% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 95.5% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 95.7% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 95.9% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 96.1% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 96.3% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 96.5% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 96.7% | +0.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 96.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 98.5%, 98% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 96.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 96.6%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 92.9% | 92.0% | 93.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 94.8% | 93.9% | 95.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 96.3% | 95.9% | 96.7% | 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 using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Lesotho?
- Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Lesotho was 96.7% 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 using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 96.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 92.0% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population?
- Lesotho ranks 153rd out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. 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 Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population. 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, regardless of collection time. An improved drinking water source is a safely designed drinking water source and includes e.g. piped water, boreholes or tubewells and packaged or delivered water.