Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Lesotho instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 30.1% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
live 8.5 years less
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024.
see 71.5% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Lesotho spends $386 as of 2023.
have 70.4% fewer doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Lesotho has 2.4 as of 2022.
have 25.4% less access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Lesotho scores 53 as of 2021.
be 28.5% more likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Lesotho, it is 28.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 49.6% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Lesotho, that number is 16.3% as of 2025.
make 83.5% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Lesotho, the GDP per capita is $1,089 as of 2025.
Life
have 28.6% more children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lesotho, there are 23.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In South Africa, approximately 118.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Lesotho, 478.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In South Africa, approximately 24.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Lesotho, on the other hand, 56.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 34.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In South Africa, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 57% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 45% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 33.9% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Lesotho, about 51.8% do as of 2024.
be 13.4% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Africa, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 78% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 41.5% more on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 12.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 11.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Lesotho, they kill 21.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.2% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Lesotho withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 92.9% less home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Lesotho has 0.4 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 93.8% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Lesotho, it causes 100.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Lesotho
Lesotho: At a glance
How big is Lesotho compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.