Age dependency ratio in Lesotho
Lesotho: Age dependency ratio was 61.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Lesotho, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 61.2% for age dependency ratio in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Lesotho peaked at 98.6% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 61.2%, in 2025.
That places Lesotho 66th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 98.5% | — |
| 1961 | 98.6% | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 98.5% | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 98.0% | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 96.7% | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 96.1% | -0.7% |
| 1966 | 96.4% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 95.8% | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 94.4% | -1.5% |
| 1969 | 92.6% | -1.8% |
| 1970 | 90.8% | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 88.9% | -2.1% |
| 1972 | 87.1% | -2.0% |
| 1973 | 85.4% | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 84.0% | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 82.9% | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 82.3% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 82.4% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 83.0% | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 83.9% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 84.8% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 85.7% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 86.5% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 87.2% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 87.9% | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 88.4% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 87.5% | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 86.9% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 87.9% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 88.5% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 88.9% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 88.9% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 88.6% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 88.0% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 87.2% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 86.1% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 85.0% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 83.8% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 82.2% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 80.6% | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 79.0% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 77.5% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 76.1% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 74.8% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 73.6% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 72.7% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 71.7% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 70.7% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 69.9% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 69.3% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 68.9% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 68.5% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 68.2% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 68.1% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 68.1% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 68.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 67.9% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 67.5% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 66.9% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 66.3% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 65.6% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 65.0% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 64.2% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 63.3% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 62.3% | -1.6% |
| 2025 | 61.2% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 96.6% | 92.6% | 98.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 85.1% | 82.3% | 90.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 87.1% | 84.8% | 88.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 85.9% | 80.6% | 88.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.5% | 69.3% | 79.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.8% | 66.3% | 68.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.6% | 61.2% | 65.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 63 Finland 62.7% compare
- 64 Timor-Leste 62.2% compare
- 65 Kazakhstan 61.7% compare
- 67 Kyrgyzstan 61.0% compare
- 68 Micronesia, Federated States of 60.5% compare
- 69 Portugal 60.4% compare
More health data for Lesotho
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.05 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4669 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,227 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 382 (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate -0.1139 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.341 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 1.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per capita 0.3179 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Lesotho?
- Age dependency ratio in Lesotho was 61.2% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 98.6% in 1961.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.2% in 2025.
- How does Lesotho rank for age dependency ratio?
- Lesotho ranks 66th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.