Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Lesotho
Lesotho: Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines was 49.7% in 2017. ▬ Flat
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Lesotho, 1986–2017
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2017, poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Lesotho stood at 49.7%.
The figure is down 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Lesotho peaked at 66.6% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 46.8%, in 1986.
That places Lesotho 4th out of 70 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top 10%.
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 46.8% | — |
| 1993 | 49.2% | +5.1% |
| 1994 | 66.6% | +35.4% |
| 2002 | 56.6% | -15.0% |
| 2017 | 49.7% | -12.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 46.8% | 46.8% | 46.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 57.9% | 49.2% | 66.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 56.6% | 56.6% | 56.6% | 1 |
| 2010s | 49.7% | 49.7% | 49.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 1 Mozambique 65.0% compare
- 2 Malawi 50.7% compare
- 3 Guinea-Bissau 50.5% compare
- 5 Kenya 39.8% compare
- 6 Argentina 38.1%
- 7 South Africa 37.9% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Lesotho
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 2.69 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 804.1 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 10.32 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 30.43 (2022)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 30.4% (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Lesotho?
- Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Lesotho was 49.7% in 2017, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 66.6% in 1994.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.8% in 1986.
- How does Lesotho rank for poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines?
- Lesotho ranks 4th out of 70 countries with data for 2017.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line(s). National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys. For economies for which the data are from EU-SILC, the reported year is the income reference year, which is the year before the survey year.