Share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho
Lesotho: Share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking was 58.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho is 58.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.6% on the previous year and up 45.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho peaked at 58.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16.0%, in 2000.
Lesotho ranks 133rd of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.0% | — |
| 2001 | 18.0% | +12.5% |
| 2002 | 19.0% | +5.6% |
| 2003 | 21.0% | +10.5% |
| 2004 | 23.0% | +9.5% |
| 2005 | 24.0% | +4.3% |
| 2006 | 25.0% | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 27.0% | +8.0% |
| 2008 | 28.0% | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 30.0% | +7.1% |
| 2010 | 31.0% | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 33.0% | +6.5% |
| 2012 | 35.0% | +6.1% |
| 2013 | 37.0% | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 40.0% | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 42.0% | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 44.0% | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 46.0% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 47.0% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 49.0% | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 50.0% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 52.0% | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 54.0% | +3.8% |
| 2023 | 56.0% | +3.7% |
| 2024 | 58.0% | +3.6% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 58.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 45.5%, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 58.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.0%, 4.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.1% | 16.0% | 30.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.4% | 31.0% | 49.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.0% | 50.0% | 58.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More reference data data for Lesotho
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0331 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5388 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0101 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1115 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0549 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho?
- Share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho was 58.0% in 2024, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 58.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.0% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking?
- Lesotho ranks 133rd out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 45.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with access to clean fuels for cooking. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Access to clean fuels or technologies such as natural gas, electricity, and clean cookstoves reduces exposure to indoor air pollutants, a leading cause of death in low-income households.