factbook.json/africa/lt.json

{
  "Introduction": {
    "Background": {
      "text": "Paramount chief MOSHOESHOE I consolidated what would become Basutoland in the early 19th century and made himself king in 1822. Continuing encroachments by Dutch settlers from the neighboring Orange Free State caused the king to enter into an 1868 agreement with the UK that made Basutoland first a British protectorate and, after 1884, a crown colony. After gaining independence in 1966, the country was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho. The Basotho National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE II was exiled in 1990, returned to Lesotho in 1992, was reinstated in 1995, and was then succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. <br><br>In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections in 2007 were hotly contested, and aggrieved parties disputed how seats were awarded. In 2012, competitive elections saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government -- the first in the country's history -- that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month. MOSISILI returned to power in snap elections in 2015 after the collapse of THABANE’s coalition government and an alleged attempted military coup. In 2017, THABANE returned to become prime minister but stepped down in 2020 after being implicated in his estranged wife’s murder. He was succeeded by Moseketsi MAJORO. In 2022, Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE was inaugurated as prime minister and head of a three-party coalition."
    }
  },
  "Geography": {
    "Location": {
      "text": "Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa"
    },
    "Geographic coordinates": {
      "text": "29 30 S, 28 30 E"
    },
    "Map references": {
      "text": "Africa"
    },
    "Area": {
      "total ": {
        "text": "30,355 sq km"
      },
      "land": {
        "text": "30,355 sq km"
      },
      "water": {
        "text": "0 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Area - comparative": {
      "text": "slightly smaller than Maryland"
    },
    "Land boundaries": {
      "total": {
        "text": "1,106 km"
      },
      "border countries": {
        "text": "South Africa 1,106 km"
      }
    },
    "Coastline": {
      "text": "0 km (landlocked)"
    },
    "Maritime claims": {
      "text": "none (landlocked)"
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers"
    },
    "Terrain": {
      "text": "mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains"
    },
    "Elevation": {
      "highest point": {
        "text": "Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m"
      },
      "lowest point": {
        "text": "junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m"
      },
      "mean elevation": {
        "text": "2,161 m"
      }
    },
    "Natural resources": {
      "text": "water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "76.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 10.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 65.9% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "1.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "22.4% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Irrigated land": {
      "text": "12 sq km (2013)"
    },
    "Major rivers (by length in km)": {
      "text": "Orange river source (shared with South Africa and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km<br><strong>note</strong> – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
    },
    "Major watersheds (area sq km)": {
      "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru, and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people as shown in this population distribution map"
    },
    "Natural hazards": {
      "text": "periodic droughts"
    },
    "Geography - note": {
      "text": "landlocked, an enclave of (completely surrounded by) South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level"
    }
  },
  "People and Society": {
    "Population": {
      "total": {
        "text": "2,227,548"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "1,101,959"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "1,125,589 (2024 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Nationality": {
      "noun": {
        "text": "Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)"
      },
      "adjective": {
        "text": "Basotho"
      }
    },
    "Ethnic groups": {
      "text": "Sotho 99.7%, other 0.3% (includes Kwena, Nguni (Hlubi and Phuthi), Zulu)"
    },
    "Languages": {
      "text": "Sesotho (official), English (official), Phuthi, Xhosa, Zulu"
    },
    "Religions": {
      "text": "Protestant 47.8% (Pentecostal 23.1%, Lesotho Evangelical 17.3%, Anglican 7.4%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%, non-Christian 1.4%, none 2.3% (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Demographic profile": {
      "text": "<p>Lesotho faces great socioeconomic challenges. Almost half of its population lives below the poverty line as of 2017, and the country’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is the second highest in the world as of 2021. In addition, Lesotho is a small, mountainous, landlocked country with little arable land, leaving its population vulnerable to food shortages and reliant on remittances. Lesotho’s persistently high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates have been increasing during the last decade, according to the last two Demographic and Health Surveys. Despite these significant shortcomings, Lesotho has made good progress in education; it is on-track to achieve universal primary education and has one of the highest adult literacy rates in Africa.</p> <p>Lesotho’s migration history is linked to its unique geography; it is surrounded by South Africa with which it shares linguistic and cultural traits. Lesotho at one time had more of its workforce employed outside its borders than any other country. Today remittances equal about 20% of its GDP. With few job options at home, a high rate of poverty, and higher wages available across the border, labor migration to South Africa replaced agriculture as the prevailing Basotho source of income decades ago. The majority of Basotho migrants were single men contracted to work as gold miners in South Africa. However, migration trends changed in the 1990s, and fewer men found mining jobs in South Africa because of declining gold prices, stricter immigration policies, and a preference for South African workers.</p> <p>Although men still dominate cross-border labor migration, more women are working in South Africa, mostly as domestics, because they are widows or their husbands are unemployed. Internal rural-urban flows have also become more frequent, with more women migrating within the country to take up jobs in the garment industry or moving to care for loved ones with HIV/AIDS. Lesotho’s small population of immigrants is increasingly composed of Taiwanese and Chinese migrants who are involved in the textile industry and small retail businesses.</p>"
    },
    "Age structure": {
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "32% (male 358,137/female 353,618)"
      },
      "15-64 years": {
        "text": "62.7% (male 699,197/female 696,626)"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "5.4% (2024 est.) (male 44,625/female 75,345)"
      }
    },
    "Dependency ratios": {
      "total dependency ratio": {
        "text": "62.1"
      },
      "youth dependency ratio": {
        "text": "55.3"
      },
      "elderly dependency ratio": {
        "text": "6.8"
      },
      "potential support ratio": {
        "text": "14.7 (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Median age": {
      "total": {
        "text": "23.9 years (2024 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "23.4 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "24.3 years"
      }
    },
    "Population growth rate": {
      "text": "0.76% (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Birth rate": {
      "text": "22.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Death rate": {
      "text": "10.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Net migration rate": {
      "text": "-4.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru, and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people as shown in this population distribution map"
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "30.4% of total population (2023)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major urban areas - population": {
      "text": "202,000 MASERU (capital) (2018)"
    },
    "Sex ratio": {
      "at birth": {
        "text": "1.03 male(s)/female"
      },
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "1.01 male(s)/female"
      },
      "15-64 years": {
        "text": "1 male(s)/female"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "0.59 male(s)/female"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Mother's mean age at first birth": {
      "text": "20.9 years (2014 est.)",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49"
    },
    "Maternal mortality ratio": {
      "text": "566 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Infant mortality rate": {
      "total": {
        "text": "45.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "51 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "40.2 deaths/1,000 live births"
      }
    },
    "Life expectancy at birth": {
      "total population": {
        "text": "60.2 years (2024 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "58.1 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "62.3 years"
      }
    },
    "Total fertility rate": {
      "text": "2.85 children born/woman (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Gross reproduction rate": {
      "text": "1.4 (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Contraceptive prevalence rate": {
      "text": "64.9% (2018)"
    },
    "Drinking water source": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 95.7% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 77.2% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 82.6% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 4.3% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 22.8% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 17.4% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Current health expenditure": {
      "text": "11.8% of GDP (2020)"
    },
    "Physician density": {
      "text": "0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2018)"
    },
    "Sanitation facility access": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 93.6% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 62.4% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 71.4% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 6.4% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 37.6% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 28.6% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "16.6% (2016)"
    },
    "Alcohol consumption per capita": {
      "total": {
        "text": "3.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "beer": {
        "text": "1.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "wine": {
        "text": "0.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "spirits": {
        "text": "0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "other alcohols": {
        "text": "0.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Tobacco use": {
      "total": {
        "text": "24.3% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "43.1% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "5.4% (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": {
      "text": "10.5% (2018)"
    },
    "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": {
      "text": "53.7% (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Child marriage": {
      "women married by age 15": {
        "text": "1%"
      },
      "women married by age 18": {
        "text": "16.4%"
      },
      "men married by age 18": {
        "text": "1.9% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Education expenditures": {
      "text": "8.7% of GDP (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Literacy": {
      "definition": {
        "text": "age 15 and over can read and write"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "81%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "72.9%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "88.8% (2021)"
      }
    },
    "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "12 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "12 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "13 years (2017)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Environment": {
    "Environment - current issues": {
      "text": "population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa"
    },
    "Environment - international agreements": {
      "party to": {
        "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands"
      },
      "signed, but not ratified": {
        "text": "none of the selected agreements"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "76.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 10.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 65.9% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "1.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "22.4% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "30.4% of total population (2023)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Food insecurity": {
      "severe localized food insecurity": {
        "text": "<em><em>due to h</em>igh food prices and economic downturn - </em>food insecurity conditions are primarily underpinned by the high food prices and a slow economic recovery that is impinging on households’ economic capacity to access food; Lesotho  is a net importer of key staple food commodities and energy, domestic prices have been largely influenced by the high level of international prices (2023)"
      }
    },
    "Revenue from forest resources": {
      "text": "3.34% of GDP (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Revenue from coal": {
      "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Air pollutants": {
      "particulate matter emissions": {
        "text": "17.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)"
      },
      "carbon dioxide emissions": {
        "text": "2.51 megatons (2016 est.)"
      },
      "methane emissions": {
        "text": "2.56 megatons (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Waste and recycling": {
      "municipal solid waste generated annually": {
        "text": "73,457 tons (2006 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major rivers (by length in km)": {
      "text": "Orange river source (shared with South Africa and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km<br><strong>note</strong> – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
    },
    "Major watersheds (area sq km)": {
      "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)"
    },
    "Total water withdrawal": {
      "municipal": {
        "text": "20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      },
      "industrial": {
        "text": "20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural": {
        "text": "3.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total renewable water resources": {
      "text": "3.02 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Government": {
    "Country name": {
      "conventional long form": {
        "text": "Kingdom of Lesotho"
      },
      "conventional short form": {
        "text": "Lesotho"
      },
      "local long form": {
        "text": "Kingdom of Lesotho"
      },
      "local short form": {
        "text": "Lesotho"
      },
      "former": {
        "text": "Basutoland"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "the name translates as \"Land of the Sesotho Speakers\""
      }
    },
    "Government type": {
      "text": "parliamentary constitutional monarchy"
    },
    "Capital": {
      "name": {
        "text": "Maseru"
      },
      "geographic coordinates": {
        "text": "29 19 S, 27 29 E"
      },
      "time difference": {
        "text": "UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "in the Sesotho language the name means \"[place of] red sandstones\""
      }
    },
    "Administrative divisions": {
      "text": "10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka"
    },
    "Independence": {
      "text": "4 October 1966 (from the UK)"
    },
    "National holiday": {
      "text": "Independence Day, 4 October (1966)"
    },
    "Legal system": {
      "text": "mixed legal system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal"
    },
    "Constitution": {
      "history": {
        "text": "previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version)"
      },
      "amendments": {
        "text": "proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, including fundamental rights and freedoms, sovereignty of the kingdom, the office of the king, and powers of Parliament, requires a majority vote by the National Assembly, approval by the Senate, approval in a referendum by a majority of qualified voters, and assent of the king; passage of amendments other than those specified provisions requires at least a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament; amended several times, last in 2011"
      }
    },
    "International law organization participation": {
      "text": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
    },
    "Citizenship": {
      "citizenship by birth": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "citizenship by descent only": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "dual citizenship recognized": {
        "text": "no"
      },
      "residency requirement for naturalization": {
        "text": "5 years"
      }
    },
    "Suffrage": {
      "text": "18 years of age; universal"
    },
    "Executive branch": {
      "chief of state": {
        "text": "King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996)"
      },
      "head of government": {
        "text": "Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE (28 October 2022)"
      },
      "cabinet": {
        "text": "consists of the prime minister, appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State, the deputy prime minister, and 18 other ministers; the prime minister is the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the National Assembly"
      },
      "elections/appointments": {
        "text": "the monarchy is hereditary, but under the terms of the constitution that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a \"living symbol of national unity\" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law, the College of Chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, to determine next in line of succession, or to serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature age<br>note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile"
      }
    },
    "Legislative branch": {
      "legislature name": {
        "text": "Parliament"
      },
      "legislative structure": {
        "text": "bicameral"
      }
    },
    "Legislative branch - lower chamber": {
      "chamber name": {
        "text": "National Assembly"
      },
      "number of seats": {
        "text": "122 (all directly elected)"
      },
      "electoral system": {
        "text": "mixed system"
      },
      "scope of elections": {
        "text": "full renewal"
      },
      "term in office": {
        "text": "5 years"
      },
      "most recent election date": {
        "text": "10/7/2022"
      },
      "parties elected and seats per party": {
        "text": "Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) (56); Democratic Congress (DC) (29); All Basotho Convention (ABC) (8); Basotho Action Party (BAP) (6); Other (20)"
      },
      "percentage of women in chamber": {
        "text": "25%"
      },
      "expected date of next election": {
        "text": "October 2027"
      }
    },
    "Legislative branch - upper chamber": {
      "chamber name": {
        "text": "Senate"
      },
      "number of seats": {
        "text": "33 (11 appointed)"
      },
      "scope of elections": {
        "text": "full renewal"
      },
      "term in office": {
        "text": "5 years"
      },
      "most recent election date": {
        "text": "11/2/2022"
      },
      "percentage of women in chamber": {
        "text": "21.2%"
      },
      "expected date of next election": {
        "text": "November 2027"
      }
    },
    "Judicial branch": {
      "highest court(s)": {
        "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament); note - both the Court of Appeal and the High Court have jurisdiction in constitutional issues"
      },
      "judge selection and term of office": {
        "text": "Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75"
      },
      "subordinate courts": {
        "text": "Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; military courts"
      }
    },
    "Political parties": {
      "text": "All Basotho Convention or ABC <br>Alliance of Democrats or AD <br>Basotho Action Party or BAP <br>Basotho National Party or BNP <br>Democratic Congress or DC <br>Democratic Party of Lesotho or DPL <br>Lesotho People's Congress or LPC <br>Movement of Economic Change or MEC <br>National Independent Party or NIP <br>Popular Front for Democracy of PFD<br>Reformed Congress of Lesotho or RCL "
    },
    "International organization participation": {
      "text": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
    },
    "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador Tumisang MOSOTHO (since 16 September 2022)"
      },
      "chancery": {
        "text": "2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 797-5533"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 234-6815"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "<br>lesothoembassy@verizon.net<br><br>https://www.gov.ls/"
      }
    },
    "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; d'Affaires Thomas HINES (since August 2024)"
      },
      "embassy": {
        "text": "254 Kingsway Avenue, Maseru"
      },
      "mailing address": {
        "text": "2340 Maseru Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-2340"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[266] 22312666"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[266] 22310116"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "<br>USConsularMaseru@state.gov<br><br>https://ls.usembassy.gov/"
      }
    },
    "Flag description": {
      "text": "three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black mokorotlo, a traditional Basotho straw hat and national symbol; the redesigned flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence"
    },
    "National symbol(s)": {
      "text": "mokorotio (Basotho hat); national colors: blue, white, green, black"
    },
    "National anthem": {
      "name": {
        "text": "\"Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona\" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers)"
      },
      "lyrics/music": {
        "text": "Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> adopted 1967; music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook"
    },
    "National heritage": {
      "total World Heritage Sites": {
        "text": "1 (mixed)"
      },
      "selected World Heritage Site locales": {
        "text": "Maloti-Drakensberg Park"
      }
    }
  },
  "Economy": {
    "Economic overview": {
      "text": "lower middle-income economy surrounded by South Africa; environmentally fragile and politically unstable; key infrastructure and renewable energy investments; dire poverty; urban job and income losses due to COVID-19; systemic corruption"
    },
    "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023": {
        "text": "$6 billion (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": {
        "text": "$5.893 billion (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": {
        "text": "$5.755 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars"
    },
    "Real GDP growth rate": {
      "Real GDP growth rate 2023": {
        "text": "1.83% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2022": {
        "text": "2.39% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2021": {
        "text": "1.85% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency"
    },
    "Real GDP per capita": {
      "Real GDP per capita 2023": {
        "text": "$2,600 (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2022": {
        "text": "$2,600 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2021": {
        "text": "$2,500 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars"
    },
    "GDP (official exchange rate)": {
      "text": "$2.118 billion (2023 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate"
    },
    "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": {
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023": {
        "text": "6.34% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022": {
        "text": "8.27% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021": {
        "text": "6.05% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices"
    },
    "Credit ratings": {
      "Fitch rating": {
        "text": "B (2019)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained."
    },
    "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "6.6% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "28.7% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "50.6% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data"
    },
    "GDP - composition, by end use": {
      "household consumption": {
        "text": "92.9% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "government consumption": {
        "text": "35.6% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "investment in fixed capital": {
        "text": "28.3% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "investment in inventories": {
        "text": "-1.1% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "exports of goods and services": {
        "text": "42.9% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "imports of goods and services": {
        "text": "-98.6% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection"
    },
    "Agricultural products": {
      "text": "milk, potatoes, maize, vegetables, fruits, beans, wheat, game meat, sorghum, wool (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage"
    },
    "Industries": {
      "text": "food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism"
    },
    "Industrial production growth rate": {
      "text": "-8.32% (2023 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency"
    },
    "Labor force": {
      "text": "980,000 (2023 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work"
    },
    "Unemployment rate": {
      "Unemployment rate 2023": {
        "text": "16.46% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2022": {
        "text": "16.67% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2021": {
        "text": "18.13% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment"
    },
    "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "24.8% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "17.5% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "34.8% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment"
    },
    "Population below poverty line": {
      "text": "49.7% (2017 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line"
    },
    "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": {
      "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017": {
        "text": "44.9 (2017 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality"
    },
    "Household income or consumption by percentage share": {
      "lowest 10%": {
        "text": "1.7% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "highest 10%": {
        "text": "32.9% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population"
    },
    "Remittances": {
      "Remittances 2023": {
        "text": "22.87% of GDP (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Remittances 2022": {
        "text": "22.62% of GDP (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Remittances 2021": {
        "text": "19.67% of GDP (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities"
    },
    "Budget": {
      "revenues": {
        "text": "$1.13 billion (2022 est.)"
      },
      "expenditures": {
        "text": "$947.517 million (2022 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated"
    },
    "Public debt": {
      "Public debt 2020": {
        "text": "2.99% of GDP (2020 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> central government debt as a % of GDP"
    },
    "Taxes and other revenues": {
      "text": "30.44% (of GDP) (2022 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP"
    },
    "Current account balance": {
      "Current account balance 2023": {
        "text": "-$143.202 million (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Current account balance 2022": {
        "text": "-$265.366 million (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Current account balance 2021": {
        "text": "-$195.013 million (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars"
    },
    "Exports": {
      "Exports 2023": {
        "text": "$885.789 million (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Exports 2022": {
        "text": "$1.07 billion (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Exports 2021": {
        "text": "$1.082 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars"
    },
    "Exports - partners": {
      "text": "South Africa 37%, US 28%, Belgium 19%, UAE 6%, UK 3% (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports"
    },
    "Exports - commodities": {
      "text": "garments, diamonds, water, wool, power equipment (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars"
    },
    "Imports": {
      "Imports 2023": {
        "text": "$2.074 billion (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Imports 2022": {
        "text": "$2.244 billion (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Imports 2021": {
        "text": "$2.223 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars"
    },
    "Imports - partners": {
      "text": "South Africa 77%, China 6%, Taiwan 5%, Zimbabwe 4%, India 2% (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports"
    },
    "Imports - commodities": {
      "text": "refined petroleum, fabric, cotton, garments, electricity (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars"
    },
    "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": {
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023": {
        "text": "$854.089 million (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022": {
        "text": "$771.278 million (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021": {
        "text": "$798.207 million (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars"
    },
    "Debt - external": {
      "Debt - external 2023": {
        "text": "$999.337 million (2023 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars"
    },
    "Exchange rates": {
      "Currency": {
        "text": "maloti (LSL) per US dollar -"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2023": {
        "text": "18.45 (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2022": {
        "text": "16.356 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2021": {
        "text": "14.779 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2020": {
        "text": "16.459 (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2019": {
        "text": "14.448 (2019 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Energy": {
    "Electricity access": {
      "electrification - total population": {
        "text": "50% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "electrification - urban areas": {
        "text": "83.6%"
      },
      "electrification - rural areas": {
        "text": "37.7%"
      }
    },
    "Electricity": {
      "installed generating capacity": {
        "text": "75,000 kW (2022 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "828.817 million kWh (2022 est.)"
      },
      "imports": {
        "text": "429.639 million kWh (2022 est.)"
      },
      "transmission/distribution losses": {
        "text": "102.88 million kWh (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Electricity generation sources": {
      "fossil fuels": {
        "text": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)"
      },
      "solar": {
        "text": "0.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)"
      },
      "hydroelectricity": {
        "text": "99.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Coal": {
      "imports": {
        "text": "23,000 metric tons (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Petroleum": {
      "refined petroleum consumption": {
        "text": "5,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Carbon dioxide emissions": {
      "total emissions": {
        "text": "752,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "from petroleum and other liquids": {
        "text": "752,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Energy consumption per capita": {
      "Total energy consumption per capita 2022": {
        "text": "5.975 million Btu/person (2022 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Communications": {
    "Telephones - fixed lines": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "7,000 (2023 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "(2023 est.) less than 1"
      }
    },
    "Telephones - mobile cellular": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "1.6 million (2023 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "68 (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telecommunication systems": {
      "general assessment": {
        "text": "until late 2020, Lesotho&rsquo;s telecom regulator maintained a market duopoly which is focused on fixed-line services; competition was insufficient to promote effective price reductions for consumers, while the regulator had no mechanisms in place to monitor the telcos to ensure quality of service and fair pricing for consumers; the small size of the country&rsquo;s population provided little incentive for new players to enter the market; a positive outcome for consumers was the deployment in early 2021 of a service to monitor traffic and billing; this ended the practice whereby the regulator was dependent on telcos submitting data about their performance, billing, and other matters; the regulator has also turned its attention to addressing multiple SIM ownership and stemming incidences of crimes committed using unregistered SIMs; in May 2022, it instructed the country&rsquo;s Mobile Network Operators to begin registering SIM cards on their networks from the following month; fixed-wireless 5G trials began in early 2019 (2022)"
      },
      "domestic": {
        "text": "fixed-line is less than 1 per 100 subscriptions; mobile-cellular service subscribership is 80 per 100 persons (2021)"
      },
      "international": {
        "text": "country code - 266; Internet accessibility has improved with several submarine fiber optic cables that land on African east and west coasts, but the country's land locked position makes access prices expensive; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)"
      }
    },
    "Broadcast media": {
      "text": "1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations; most private broadcast media transmitters are connected to government radio signal towers; satellite TV subscription service available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters obtainable (2019)"
    },
    "Internet country code": {
      "text": ".ls"
    },
    "Internet users": {
      "percent of population": {
        "text": "47% (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": {
      "total": {
        "text": "9,000 (2023 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "(2023 est.) less than 1"
      }
    }
  },
  "Transportation": {
    "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": {
      "text": "7P"
    },
    "Airports": {
      "text": "33 (2024)"
    },
    "Roadways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "6,906 km"
      },
      "paved": {
        "text": "1,799 km"
      },
      "unpaved": {
        "text": "5,107 km (2022)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Military and Security": {
    "Military and security forces": {
      "text": "Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2024)",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the Lesotho Mounted Police Service is responsible for internal security and reports to the Minister of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police"
    },
    "Military expenditures": {
      "Military Expenditures 2023": {
        "text": "1.5% of GDP (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2022": {
        "text": "1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2021": {
        "text": "1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2020": {
        "text": "1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2019": {
        "text": "1.8% of GDP (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
      "text": "approximately 2,000 personnel (2023)"
    },
    "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
      "text": "the LDF is lightly armed and has a small inventory of mostly older or second-hand equipment of European, South African, and US origin (2024)"
    },
    "Military service age and obligation": {
      "text": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for both men and women (women can serve in combat arms); no conscription (2024)"
    },
    "Military - note": {
      "text": "Lesotho's declared policy for its military is the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; the LDF is a small force comprised of about a half dozen infantry companies; it began in 1964 as the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); the PMU was designated as the Lesotho Paramilitary Force in 1980 and became the Royal Lesotho Defense Force in 1986; it was renamed the Lesotho Defense Force in 1993 (2024)"
    }
  },
  "Transnational Issues": {
  }
}