Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Lesotho instead of Illinois, you would:

Health

live 17.2 years less

In Illinois, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Lesotho, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 96.5% less money

Illinois has a GDP per capita of $70,691 as of 2024, while in Lesotho, the GDP per capita is $2,500 as of 2023.

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be 3.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Illinois, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Lesotho, that number is 16.5% as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 46.4% less likely to have internet access

In Illinois, approximately 89.6% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Lesotho, about 48.0% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Illinois vs. Lesotho

Cost of Living Comparison · 6 categories - 2026 data
Lesotho is 57.3% cheaper than Illinois
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Size Comparison · See true size
Illinois is about 4.7 times bigger than Lesotho.
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Lesotho: At a glance

Lesotho is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 30,355 sq km. Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. 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. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In May 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties 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.
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How big is Lesotho compared to Illinois? See an in-depth size comparison.

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