Which has higher human development index, Lesotho or Nigeria?

Nigeria, at 0.467 HDI against 0.456 HDI in Lesotho as of 2011.

How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and Nigeria?

7 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2011.

Where does this data come from?

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as Human development index (HDI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Lesotho vs Nigeria: Human development index

Lesotho

0.456 HDI

in 2011

Nigeria

0.467 HDI

in 2011

Lesotho rank

25th

Nigeria rank

23rd

Human development index over time

Lesotho
Nigeria

How they compare

Nigeria currently reports 0.467 HDI against 0.456 HDI in Lesotho, a difference of 0.011 HDI.

Across all 7 years both countries report, Nigeria has been ahead every year.

Lesotho ranks 25th and Nigeria ranks 23rd of 50 countries.

Nigeria has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Lesotho	Nigeria	Difference	Ahead
2000s	0.4348 HDI	0.4472 HDI	0.0124 HDI	Nigeria
2010s	0.454 HDI	0.4645 HDI	0.0105 HDI	Nigeria

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher human development index, Lesotho or Nigeria?: Nigeria, at 0.467 HDI against 0.456 HDI in Lesotho as of 2011.
What is the difference in human development index between Lesotho and Nigeria?: 0.011 HDI, with Nigeria ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and Nigeria?: 7 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2011.
How do Lesotho and Nigeria rank globally for human development index?: Lesotho ranks 25th and Nigeria ranks 23rd of 50 countries.
Where does this data come from?: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as Human development index (HDI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Lesotho vs Nigeria: Human development index. Statizoid, drawing on http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/human-development-index-hdi/lesotho/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator: Human development index (HDI)
Unit: HDI
Source: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 50 places, 459 data points, 1980–2011
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of human development. It measures the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices measuring achievements in each dimension. The HDI is the geometric mean of the three dimension indices and embodies imperfect substitutability across all HDI dimensions. It thus addresses one of the most serious criticisms of the linear aggregation formula, which allowed for perfect substitution across dimensions. Some substitutability is inherent in the definition of any index that increases with the values of its components. Data sources: Life expectancy at birth: UNDESA; Mean years of schooling: Barro and Lee; Expected years of schooling: UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Gross national income (GNI) per capita: World Bank.