Access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas in Lesotho

Lesotho: Access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas was 27.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
27.8%
Change on year
up 8.5%
World rank
98th
of 113 countries
All-time high
27.8%
in 2024
All-time low
1.5%
in 2008
Years of data
17
2008–2024

Access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas in Lesotho, 2008–2024

01020302008201620242008: 1.5 %2009: 1.5 %2010: 1.5 %2011: 1.5 %2012: 1.5 %2013: 3.7 %2014: 5.9 %2015: 8.1 %2016: 10.3 %2017: 12.5 %2018: 14.7 %2019: 16.9 %2020: 19.1 %2021: 21.3 %2022: 23.4 %2023: 25.6 %2024: 27.8 %

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas in Lesotho stood at 27.8%. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.

The figure is up 8.5% on the previous year and up 369.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas in Lesotho peaked at 27.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2008.

That places Lesotho 98th out of 113 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 2
2010s 7.7% 1.5% 16.9% 10
2020s 23.4% 19.1% 27.8% 5

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 95 Bolivia 29.1% compare
  2. 96 Zambia 28.7% compare
  3. 97 Malawi 27.9% compare
  4. 99 Haiti 27.6% compare
  5. 100 Democratic Republic of Congo 27.3% compare
  6. 101 Mali 27.1% compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas in Lesotho?
Access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas in Lesotho was 27.8% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 27.8% in 2024.
What is the lowest access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2008.
How does Lesotho rank for access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas?
Lesotho ranks 98th out of 113 countries with data for 2024.
Is access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is up 369.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas
Unit
%
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
113 places, 1,688 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Proportion of people with access to a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home.