geography
Lesotho is one of only three countries in the world completely surrounded by a single other country (South Africa), alongside San Marino and Vatican City.
Lesotho
Kingdom of Lesotho
Population, GDP, and key facts about Lesotho — updated for 2026.
Capital · MASERUContinent · AFRICAISO · LSO
Lesotho quick facts
- Population
- 2,337,423
- Area
- 30,360 km²
- Population density
- 76 people/km²
- GDP
- US$ 2.4 Billion
- GDP per capita
- US$ 1K
- Capital
- Maseru
- Currency
- Lesotho loti (L, LSL) · also legal tender: South African rand (ZAR)
- Minimum wage
- US$ 102.6/month · L 1,881/month (2024)
- Languages
- English, Sotho
Lesotho at human scale
Where does Lesotho rank in the world?
Compare Lesotho with other countries
🇱🇸 vs 🇬🇼Compare Lesotho vs Guinea-Bissau1.1× difference in population🇱🇸 vs 🇬🇲Compare Lesotho vs Gambia, The1.2× difference in population🇱🇸 vs 🇦🇱Compare Lesotho vs Albania
Compare Lesotho with any country →Lesotho's energy mix
Share of Lesotho's own electricity generation by source, 2024. Source: Our World in Data (Ember Yearly Electricity Data and the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy).
Everything we know about Lesotho
Countries near Lesotho
How many countries do you think Lesotho could fit?
Pour other countries into Lesotho's own outline, by real area, and see how many it takes to fill it up.
Fill the Country →Frequently asked questions about Lesotho
What is the capital of Lesotho?
The capital of Lesotho is Maseru.
What is Lesotho's population?
Lesotho has a population of 2,337,423.
What is Lesotho's GDP per capita?
Lesotho's GDP per capita is US$ 1K.
What is the currency of Lesotho?
The currency of Lesotho is the Lesotho loti (LSL).
What is the minimum wage in Lesotho?
Lesotho's statutory minimum wage is about US$ 102.6 per month (as of 2024) — L 1,881 per month in local currency.
Is Lesotho bigger than Guinea-Bissau?
Guinea-Bissau is about 1.2× the size of Lesotho by land area.
Data from the World Bank, updated November 2026.