Lesotho vs South Africa: Population living in slums

Lesotho
25.6%
in 2022
South Africa
24.2%
in 2022
Lesotho rank
74th
South Africa rank
75th

Population living in slums over time

  • Lesotho
  • South Africa
0204060200020112022

How they compare

Lesotho currently reports 25.6% against 24.2% in South Africa, a difference of 1.4%.

That makes Lesotho's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

Across all 12 years both countries report, Lesotho has been ahead every year.

Lesotho ranks 74th and South Africa ranks 75th of 174 countries.

Lesotho has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Lesotho South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 57.8% 26.8% 30.9% Lesotho
2010s 37.9% 24.9% 13.0% Lesotho
2020s 25.6% 24.2% 1.4% Lesotho

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population living in slums, Lesotho or South Africa?
Lesotho, at 25.6% against 24.2% in South Africa as of 2022.
What is the difference in population living in slums between Lesotho and South Africa?
1.4%, with Lesotho ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and South Africa?
12 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2022.
How do Lesotho and South Africa rank globally for population living in slums?
Lesotho ranks 74th and South Africa ranks 75th of 174 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), published as Population living in slums (% of urban population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Lesotho vs South Africa: Population living in slums. Statizoid, drawing on Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/population-living-in-slums-percent-of-urban-population/lesotho/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Population living in slums (% of urban population)
Unit
% of urban population
Source
Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
207 places, 2,376 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Population living in slums is the proportion of the urban population living in slum households. A slum household is defined as a group of individuals living under the same roof lacking one or more of the following conditions: access to improved water, access to improved sanitation, sufficient living area, housing durability, and security of tenure, as adopted in the Millennium Development Goal Target 7.D. The successor, the Sustainable Development Goal 11.1.1, considers inadequate housing (housing affordability) to complement the above definition of slums/informal settlements.