South Africa vs Lesotho: how the neighbours compare
| Indicator | South Africa | Lesotho | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | |||
| Population | 64.7m2025 | 2.4m2025 | 24 · 144 |
| Area | 1,219,602 km²2024 | 30,360 km²2024 | 24 · 138 |
| Density | 52.82024 | 77.02024 | 151 · 129 |
| Urban share | 63.8%2025 | 44.7%2025 | 111 · 162 |
| Fertility | 2.212024 | 2.662024 | 94 · 68 |
| Aged 65+ | 6.9%2025 | 3.9%2025 | 126 · 169 |
| Economy | |||
| GDP | $427bn2025 | $2.6bn2025 | 40 · 185 |
| GDP per capita | $6,5982025 | $1,0892025 | 126 · 196 |
| GDP per capita, PPP | $15,9062025 | $3,1842025 | 120 · 184 |
| GDP growth | 1.1%2025 | 2.0%2025 | 169 · 146 |
| Agriculture share | 2.8%2025 | 6.5%2025 | 130 · 96 |
| Industry share | 24.1%2025 | 25.2%2025 | 95 · 85 |
| Services share | 63.1%2025 | 55.6%2025 | 68 · 116 |
| Prices & public finance | |||
| Inflation | 3.2%2025 | 4.3%2025 | 89 · 51 |
| Tax revenue | 25.9%2024 | 35.4%2024 | 10 · 1 |
| Military spending | 0.74%2025 | 1.63%2025 | 133 · 81 |
| Trade & investment | |||
| Exports | 31.4%2025 | 49.5%2025 | 110 · 54 |
| FDI inflows | -0.5%2025 | 1.3%2025 | 184 · 130 |
| Labour | |||
| Unemployment | 32.4%2025 | 16.3%2025 | 2 · 14 |
| Aid, poverty & equality | |||
| Women in parliament | 44.9%2025 | 25.0%2025 | 16 · 101 |
| Education | |||
| Tertiary enrolment | 23.5%2023 | 9.9%2018 | 123 · 156 |
| Education spending | 6.0%2024 | 6.6%2024 | 26 · 17 |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 66.3 yrs2024 | 57.8 yrs2024 | 183 · 213 |
| Infant mortality | 24.22024 | 56.32024 | 58 · 11 |
| Health spending | 8.9%2023 | 12.6%2023 | 47 · 8 |
| Physicians | 0.792022 | 0.232022 | 113 · 147 |
| Digital & energy access | |||
| Internet users | 78.4%2024 | 51.8%2024 | 105 · 147 |
| Fixed broadband | 5.32024 | 0.42024 | 137 · 182 |
| Electricity access | 90.2%2024 | 60.6%2024 | 161 · 187 |
| Environment | |||
| CO₂ per person | 6.88 t2024 | 0.43 t2024 | 36 · 166 |
| Renewable energy | 9.7%2021 | 34.9%2022 | 147 · 70 |
| Forest cover | 18.8%2024 | 1.1%2024 | 134 · 196 |
Higher value in each row is highlighted; it is not always the better one (think inflation or emissions). Ranks are world positions.
GDP per capita
South AfricaLesotho
Life expectancy
South AfricaLesotho
Population
South AfricaLesotho
Internet users
South AfricaLesotho
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
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