Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Lesotho instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
see 16.9% more spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Lesotho spends $386 as of 2023.
have 29.3% more access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Lesotho scores 53 as of 2021.
be 171.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Afghanistan, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 17.1% of people as of 2024.
live 8.5 years less
In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024.
have 25.9% fewer doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Lesotho has 2.4 as of 2022.
be 8.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Lesotho, it is 28.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.6 times more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Lesotho, the GDP per capita is $1,089 as of 2025.
be 22.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Lesotho, that number is 16.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 2.4 times more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Lesotho, it is 90.5% as of 2024.
be 16.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Lesotho, on the other hand, 56.3 children do as of 2024.
have 32.1% fewer children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lesotho, there are 23.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 3.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Lesotho, about 51.8% do as of 2024.
be 32.8% less likely to have access to electricity
In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 57% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 45% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 15.9% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 12.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 10.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Lesotho, they kill 21.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.8 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Lesotho has 0.4 as of 2024.
live with 95.3% less strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Lesotho withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 30.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Lesotho, it causes 100.0 as of 2019.
emit 53.6% more CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Lesotho
Lesotho: At a glance
How big is Lesotho compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.