Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Lesotho, you would:
Health
live 8.5 years longer
In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Lesotho spends $386 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 3.4 times more doctors per person
Lesotho has 2.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 34.0% more access to essential health services
Lesotho scores 53 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 22.2% less likely to die by suicide
Lesotho has a suicide rate of 28.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 43.0% more likely to be obese
In Lesotho, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 6.1 times more money
Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $1,089 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 98.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Lesotho, 16.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 75.3% 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 South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 57.0% 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 South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
have 22.2% fewer children
In Lesotho, there are approximately 23.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 53.1% 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 South Africa, that number is 88% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 51.3% more likely to have internet access
In Lesotho, approximately 51.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 15.5% 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 South Africa, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 29.3% less on healthcare
Lesotho spends 12.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 13.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Lesotho, road accidents kill 21.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 14.1 times more home broadband
Lesotho has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 26.3 times more strain on fresh water
Lesotho withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 53.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Lesotho, air pollution causes 100.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 16.0 times more CO2
Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Lesotho vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.