If you lived in Virgin Islands instead of Lesotho, you would:

Health

live 23.0 years longer

In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 29.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Lesotho, 16.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Virgin Islands, that number is 11.4% as of 2025.

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make 40.7 times more money

Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $1,089 as of 2025, while in Virgin Islands, the GDP per capita is $44,321 as of 2022.

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Life

be 86.4% 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 Virgin Islands, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2022.

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have 53.3% fewer children

In Lesotho, there are approximately 23.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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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 Virgin Islands, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 25.1% more likely to have internet access

In Lesotho, approximately 51.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, about 64.8% do as of 2022.

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be 27.4% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Lesotho, approximately 78% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, 99% of people do as of 2024.

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Infrastructure

find 26.5 times more home broadband

Lesotho has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Virgin Islands has 10.1 as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Virgin Islands: At a glance

Virgin Islands (sometimes abbreviated USVI) is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 346 sq km. The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
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How big is Virgin Islands compared to Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.

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