Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Lesotho, you would:
Health
live 21.1 years longer
In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 34.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Lesotho spends $386 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 15.7 times more doctors per person
Lesotho has 2.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 62.3% more access to essential health services
Lesotho scores 53 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 45.5% less likely to die by suicide
Lesotho has a suicide rate of 28.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 84.3% more likely to be obese
In Lesotho, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 74.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Lesotho, 16.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
make 82.7 times more money
Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $1,089 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
be 96.4% 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 90.2% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 55.4% fewer children
In Lesotho, there are approximately 23.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 74.5% 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 United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 82.8% more likely to have internet access
In Lesotho, approximately 51.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
be 28.0% 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 United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 18.1% less on education
Lesotho spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 32.4% more on healthcare
Lesotho spends 12.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Lesotho, road accidents kill 21.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 102.3 times more home broadband
Lesotho has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
live with 11.0 times more strain on fresh water
Lesotho withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 86.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Lesotho, air pollution causes 100.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 31.7 times more CO2
Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 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. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.