People using at least basic drinking water services, rural (%) in Lesotho
Lesotho: People using at least basic drinking water services, rural (%) was 70.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
People using at least basic drinking water services, rural in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of rural population.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 70.6% for people using at least basic drinking water services, rural in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least basic drinking water services, rural in Lesotho peaked at 70.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 60.4%, in 2000.
That places Lesotho 133rd out of 174 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People using at least basic drinking water services, rural (%) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 60.4% | — |
| 2001 | 60.8% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 61.2% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 61.7% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 62.1% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 62.5% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 62.9% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 63.3% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 63.8% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 64.2% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 64.6% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 65.1% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 65.5% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 65.9% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 66.3% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 66.8% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 67.2% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 67.6% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 68.1% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 68.5% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 68.9% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 69.3% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 69.8% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 70.2% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 70.6% | +0.6% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 70.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 75.4%, 94% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 70.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 58.5%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 62.3% | 60.4% | 64.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.5% | 64.6% | 68.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.8% | 68.9% | 70.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 382 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2020)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.8108 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0548 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.7473 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0557 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using at least basic drinking water services, rural in Lesotho?
- People using at least basic drinking water services, rural in Lesotho was 70.6% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest people using at least basic drinking water services, rural recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 70.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest people using at least basic drinking water services, rural recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.4% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for people using at least basic drinking water services, rural?
- Lesotho ranks 133rd out of 174 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using at least basic drinking water services, rural rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of People using at least basic drinking water services, rural (% of rural population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The percentage of people using at least basic water services. This indicator encompasses both people using basic water services as well as those using safely managed water services. Basic drinking water services is defined as drinking water from an improved source, provided collection time is not more than 30 minutes for a round trip. Improved water sources include piped water, boreholes or tubewells, protected dug wells, protected springs, and packaged or delivered water.