Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Lesotho: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCC, ranked #174 of 195).
Lesotho is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy in Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa. The country's capital is Maseru; it covers 30,355 sq km. Independence: 4 October 1966 (from the UK). Terrain: mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains. Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers. Population: 2.2 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.73% per year. Median age: 24.0 years. Life expectancy: 60.2 years (2024 est.). Languages: Sesotho (official), English (official), Phuthi, Xhosa, Zulu Religions: Protestant 47.8% (Pentecostal 23.1%, Lesotho Evangelical 17.3%, Anglican 7.4%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%, non-Christian 1.4%, none…
| Capital | Maseru |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,222,962 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $6.166 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $2,600 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 2.8% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 6.1% |
| Unemployment | 16.2% |
| Public debt | 3% of GDP (2020 est.) |
| Exports | $983.027 million (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $2.083 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 60.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 24.0 |
| Urbanization | 30.4% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Independence | 4 October 1966 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Sesotho (official), English (official), Phuthi, Xhosa, Zulu |
MCC · 37/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
Diamonds.
Sam Matekane — Prime Minister. King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996)
Lesotho maintains 15 embassies and 4 consulates abroad, hosts 5 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 15 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 4 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 5 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 34 (registration prefix 7P) |
Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU) — Maseru(Mazenod).
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCC · 37 Ranked #174 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Lesotho.
