Lesotho vs South Africa: Prevalence of HIV, total
Lesotho
17.1%
in 2024
South Africa
17.2%
in 2024
Lesotho rank
3rd
South Africa rank
2nd
Prevalence of HIV, total over time
- Lesotho
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 17.2% against 17.1% in Lesotho, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 35 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Lesotho ahead.
Lesotho ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 2nd of 152 countries.
Lesotho has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lesotho | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.2% | 6.9% | 5.3% | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 23.3% | 15.8% | 7.5% | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 23.9% | 18.2% | 5.7% | Lesotho |
| 2020s | 18.9% | 17.9% | 1.0% | Lesotho |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prevalence of hiv, total, Lesotho or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 17.2% against 17.1% in Lesotho as of 2024.
- What is the difference in prevalence of hiv, total between Lesotho and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and South Africa?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2024.
- How do Lesotho and South Africa rank globally for prevalence of hiv, total?
- Lesotho ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 2nd of 152 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNAIDS estimates, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), published as Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 15-49). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Prevalence of HIV refers to the percentage of people ages 15-49 who are infected with HIV.