Armed forces personnel in Lesotho
Lesotho: Armed forces personnel was 2,000 in 2020. ▬ Flat
Armed forces personnel in Lesotho, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in Lesotho is 2,000, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Lesotho peaked at 2,000 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 2,000, in 1985.
Lesotho ranks 156th of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More reference data data for Lesotho
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.6457 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.77 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6724 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5102 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.4131 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 221.03 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Lesotho?
- Armed forces personnel in Lesotho was 2,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 2,000 in 1985.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,000 in 1985.
- How does Lesotho rank for armed forces personnel?
- Lesotho ranks 156th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.