Which has higher human development index, Lesotho or Zambia?

Lesotho, at 0.456 HDI against 0.443 HDI in Zambia as of 2011.

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

10 years are reported by both, from 1980 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 Zambia: Human development index

Lesotho

0.456 HDI

in 2011

Zambia

0.443 HDI

in 2011

Lesotho rank

25th

Zambia rank

28th

Human development index over time

Lesotho
Zambia

How they compare

Lesotho currently reports 0.456 HDI against 0.443 HDI in Zambia, a difference of 0.013 HDI.

Across all 10 years both countries report, Lesotho has been ahead every year.

Lesotho ranks 25th and Zambia ranks 28th of 50 countries.

Lesotho has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Lesotho	Zambia	Difference	Ahead
1980s	0.422 HDI	0.405 HDI	0.017 HDI	Lesotho
1990s	0.474 HDI	0.398 HDI	0.076 HDI	Lesotho
2000s	0.4338 HDI	0.407 HDI	0.0268 HDI	Lesotho
2010s	0.454 HDI	0.4405 HDI	0.0135 HDI	Lesotho

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher human development index, Lesotho or Zambia?: Lesotho, at 0.456 HDI against 0.443 HDI in Zambia as of 2011.
What is the difference in human development index between Lesotho and Zambia?: 0.013 HDI, with Lesotho ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and Zambia?: 10 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2011.
How do Lesotho and Zambia rank globally for human development index?: Lesotho ranks 25th and Zambia ranks 28th 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 Zambia: 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/zambia/

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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.