Capital Maseru

Area 30,355 sq km
11,720 sq mi

Lesotho: Flag

PEOPLE
Population 2,022,331 (2006 estimate)
Population growth
Population growth rate -0.46 percent (2006 estimate)
Projected population in 2025 1,806,490 (2006 estimate)
Projected population in 2050 1,448,643 (2006 estimate)
Population density 67 persons per sq km (2006 estimate)
172 persons per sq mi (2006 estimate)

Urban/rural distribution
Share urban 18 percent (2003 estimate)
Share rural 82 percent (2003 estimate)
Largest cities, with population
Maseru 373,000 (1999 estimate)

Ethnic groups
Basotho 79 percent
Nguni 20 percent
San, Griqua, other groups 1 percent

Languages
Sesotho (southern Sotho, official), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa

Religious affiliations
Christian 91 percent

Roman Caholic 38 percent
Protestant 13 percent
Anglican 5 percent

Other Christian 35 percent
Indigenous beliefs 8 percent
Other 1 percent

HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Life expectancy
Total 34.4 years (2006 estimate)
Female 33.2 years (2006 estimate)
Male 35.5 years (2006 estimate)

Infant mortality rate 87 deaths per 1,000 live births (2006 estimate)
Population per physician 18,519 people (2004)
Population per hospital bed Not available

Literacy rate
Total 85.7 percent (2005 estimate)

Female 95.1 percent (2005 estimate)

Male 75.8 percent (2005 estimate)

Education expenditure as a share of gross national product (GNP) 7.9 percent (1999-2000)

Number of years of compulsory schooling 7 years (2001-2002)

Number of students per teacher, primary school 47 students per teacher (2002-2003)

GOVERNMENT
Form of government Constitutional monarchy
Voting qualifications Universal at age 18
Constitution 2 April 1993; amended 1997

Armed forces
Total number of military personnel 2,000 (2004)
Military expenditures as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) 2.3 percent (2003)

ECONOMY
Gross domestic product (GDP, in U.S.$) $1,312 million (2004)

GDP per capita (U.S.$) $730 (2004)

GDP by economic sector
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 17.7 percent (2004)

Industry 40.6 percent (2004)

Services 41.7 percent (2004)

Employment
Number of workers 636,479 (2004)

Workforce share of economic sector
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 57 percent (1997)

Industry 15 percent (1997)

Services 28 percent (1997)

Unemployment rate 39.3 percent (1997)

National budget (U.S.$)
Total revenue $652 million (2004)

Total expenditure $498.5 million (2004)

Monetary unit 1 loti (L), consisting of 100 lisente

Major trade partners for exports
Southern African Customs Union countries

Major trade partners for imports
Southern African Customs Union countries, Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong SAR

ENERGY, COMMUNICATIONS, AND TRANSPORTATION
Electricity production
Electricity from thermal sources 0 percent (2003 estimate)
Electricity from hydroelectric sources 100 percent (2003 estimate)
Electricity from nuclear sources 0 percent (2003 estimate)
Electricity from geothermal, solar, and wind sources 0 percent (2003 estimate)

Number of radios per 1,000 people 52 (1997)
Number of telephones per 1,000 people 21 (2004)
Number of televisions per 1,000 people 16 (2000 estimate)
Number of Internet hosts per 10,000 people 0.55 (2003)
Daily newspaper circulation per 1,000 people 7 (1996)
Number of motor vehicles per 1,000 people 19 (1997)
Paved road as a share of total roads 18 percent (1999)