Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Lesotho instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 45.8% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
live 21.1 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 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 97.1% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Lesotho spends $386 as of 2023.
have 93.6% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Lesotho has 2.4 as of 2022.
have 38.4% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Lesotho scores 53 as of 2021.
be 83.4% more likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Lesotho, it is 28.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Lesotho, that number is 16.3% as of 2025.
make 98.8% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Lesotho, the GDP per capita is $1,089 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lesotho, there are 23.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 28.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Lesotho, 478.0 women do as of 2023.
be 10.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 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 42.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In United States, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 45.3% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Lesotho, about 51.8% do as of 2024.
be 21.9% less likely to have access to drinking water
In United States, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 24.4% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 12.6% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 22.1% more on education
United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Lesotho spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 52.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Lesotho, they kill 21.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 90.9% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Lesotho withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 99.0% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Lesotho has 0.4 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 96.8% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 7.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 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: United States vs. Lesotho
Lesotho: At a glance
How big is Lesotho compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.