Age dependency ratio, old in Lesotho

Lesotho: Age dependency ratio, old was 6.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
6.3%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
170th
of 215 countries
All-time high
8.9%
in 1960
All-time low
6.2%
in 2022
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Age dependency ratio, old in Lesotho, 1960–2025

02468196019922025

Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.

Analysis

Lesotho recorded 6.3% for age dependency ratio, old in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Lesotho peaked at 8.9% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 2022.

That places Lesotho 170th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 8.4% 7.8% 8.9% 10
1970s 7.0% 6.7% 7.6% 10
1980s 7.4% 7.0% 7.8% 10
1990s 8.0% 7.8% 8.1% 10
2000s 8.0% 7.4% 8.2% 10
2010s 6.6% 6.3% 7.2% 10
2020s 6.3% 6.2% 6.3% 6

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 167 Namibia 6.4% compare
  2. 168 Equatorial Guinea 6.4% compare
  3. 169 Zimbabwe 6.3% compare
  4. 171 Ghana 6.2% compare
  5. 172 Senegal 6.2% compare
  6. 173 Guinea 6.2% compare

See the full ranking of 264 places →

More health data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is age dependency ratio, old in Lesotho?
Age dependency ratio, old in Lesotho was 6.3% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 8.9% in 1960.
What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 2022.
How does Lesotho rank for age dependency ratio, old?
Lesotho ranks 170th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population)
Unit
% of working-age population
Source
World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
264 places, 17,394 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.