Total dependency ratio in Lesotho
Lesotho: Total dependency ratio was 63.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
63.3%
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
67th
of 236 countries
All-time high
99.4%
in 1952
All-time low
63.3%
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Total dependency ratio in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, total dependency ratio in Lesotho stood at 63.3%. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in Lesotho peaked at 99.4% in 1952 and was at its lowest, 63.3%, in 2023.
That places Lesotho 67th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Total dependency ratio in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 99.2% | — |
| 1951 | 99.4% | +0.1% |
| 1952 | 99.4% | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 99.3% | -0.1% |
| 1954 | 99.1% | -0.2% |
| 1955 | 98.8% | -0.3% |
| 1956 | 98.5% | -0.3% |
| 1957 | 98.3% | -0.2% |
| 1958 | 98.3% | -0.0% |
| 1959 | 98.4% | +0.1% |
| 1960 | 98.5% | +0.1% |
| 1961 | 98.6% | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 98.5% | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 98.0% | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 96.7% | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 96.1% | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 96.4% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 95.8% | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 94.4% | -1.5% |
| 1969 | 92.6% | -1.8% |
| 1970 | 90.8% | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 88.9% | -2.1% |
| 1972 | 87.1% | -2.0% |
| 1973 | 85.4% | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 84.0% | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 82.9% | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 82.3% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 82.4% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 83.0% | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 83.9% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 84.8% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 85.7% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 86.5% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 87.2% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 87.9% | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 88.4% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 87.5% | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 86.9% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 87.9% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 88.5% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 88.9% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 88.9% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 88.6% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 88.0% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 87.2% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 86.1% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 85.0% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 83.8% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 82.2% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 80.6% | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 79.0% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 77.5% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 76.1% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 74.8% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 73.6% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 72.7% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 71.7% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 70.7% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 69.9% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 69.3% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 68.9% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 68.5% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 68.2% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 68.1% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 68.1% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 68.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 67.9% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 67.5% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 66.9% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 66.3% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 65.6% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 65.0% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 64.2% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 63.3% | -1.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 63.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 65.5%, 97% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 63.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 77.8%, 81% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 98.9% | 98.3% | 99.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 96.6% | 92.6% | 98.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 85.1% | 82.3% | 90.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 87.1% | 84.8% | 88.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 85.9% | 80.6% | 88.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.5% | 69.3% | 79.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.8% | 66.3% | 68.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.5% | 63.3% | 65.6% | 4 |
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 total dependency ratio in Lesotho?
- Total dependency ratio in Lesotho was 63.3% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 99.4% in 1952.
- What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.3% in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for total dependency ratio?
- Lesotho ranks 67th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total dependency ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children (under 15) and people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).