Median age in Lesotho
Lesotho: Median age was 21.43 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Median age in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for median age in Lesotho is 21.43 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, median age in Lesotho peaked at 21.43 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 16.19 years, in 1964.
Lesotho ranks 183rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 16.81 years | 16.37 years | 17.66 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 16.39 years | 16.19 years | 16.82 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 17.59 years | 16.97 years | 17.91 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.51 years | 17.36 years | 17.71 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.51 years | 17.3 years | 18 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.84 years | 18.18 years | 19.54 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.28 years | 19.7 years | 20.84 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.2 years | 20.99 years | 21.43 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 180 Eswatini 22 years compare
- 181 Tajikistan 21.93 years compare
- 182 Gabon 21.5 years compare
- 184 Equatorial Guinea 20.98 years compare
- 185 East Timor 20.97 years compare
- 186 Namibia 20.96 years compare
More reference data data for Lesotho
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.1655 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 2.69 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 2.69 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 2.69 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.55 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.4066 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 49.97 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 54.13 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -0.1551 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate -0.2589 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is median age in Lesotho?
- Median age in Lesotho was 21.43 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest median age recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 21.43 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest median age recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.19 years in 1964.
- How does Lesotho rank for median age?
- Lesotho ranks 183rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is median age rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Median age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The age that divides the population into two halves of equal size — half are younger and half are older.