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

Health

be 98.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Lesotho, 17.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 10.0 years longer

In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 4.9 times more doctors per person

Lesotho has 2.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Pakistan has 11.6 as of 2021.

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be 80.3% less likely to die by suicide

Lesotho has a suicide rate of 28.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Pakistan, it is 5.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 10.4% more likely to be obese

In Lesotho, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 24.5% of people as of 2024.

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see 60.6% less spent on your healthcare

Lesotho spends $386 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Pakistan spends $152 as of 2023.

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have 15.1% less access to essential health services

Lesotho scores 53 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Pakistan scores 45 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 66.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Lesotho, 16.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Pakistan, that number is 5.4% as of 2025.

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make 46.6% more money

Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $1,089 as of 2025, while in Pakistan, the GDP per capita is $1,596 as of 2025.

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Life

be 67.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Lesotho, approximately 478.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Pakistan, 155.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 14.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Lesotho, approximately 56.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Pakistan, on the other hand, 48.2 children do as of 2024.

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have 15.4% more children

In Lesotho, there are approximately 23.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Pakistan, there are 27.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 34.9% less likely to be literate

In Lesotho, the literacy rate is 90.5% as of 2024. In Pakistan, it is 58.9% as of 2021.

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Basic Needs

be 66.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In Lesotho, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 45% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Pakistan, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 10.5% more likely to have internet access

In Lesotho, approximately 51.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Pakistan, about 57.2% do as of 2024.

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be 16.2% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Lesotho, approximately 78% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 91% of people on average (93% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 70.5% less on education

Lesotho spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Pakistan spends 1.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 80.0% less on healthcare

Lesotho spends 12.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Pakistan, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 44.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Lesotho, road accidents kill 21.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Pakistan, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 3.9 times more home broadband

Lesotho has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Pakistan has 1.5 as of 2024.

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live with 42.8 times more strain on fresh water

Lesotho withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Pakistan withdraws 110% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 88.4% more CO2

Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Pakistan emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Pakistan: At a glance

Pakistan is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 770,875 sq km. The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan.
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