Lesotho Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Overview
Lesotho's unemployment rate stood at 16.32% in 2025, a decline of +0.02pp from 2024. Lesotho ranked 169th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16.32% | −0.02pp | #169 |
| 2024 | 16.34% | −0.01pp | #175 |
| 2023 | 16.35% | −0.28pp | #176 |
| 2022 | 16.62% | −1.59pp | #177 |
| 2021 | 18.21% | −0.17pp | #177 |
| 2020 | 18.39% | +1.51pp | #178 |
| 2019 | 16.88% | +0.26pp | #175 |
| 2018 | 16.61% | +0.23pp | #173 |
| 2017 | 16.38% | +0.24pp | #171 |
| 2016 | 16.14% | −0.08pp | #170 |
| 2015 | 16.22% | +0.16pp | #168 |
| 2014 | 16.07% | +0.14pp | #167 |
| 2013 | 15.93% | +0.17pp | #164 |
| 2012 | 15.76% | −0.35pp | #167 |
| 2011 | 16.12% | +0.05pp | #167 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Lesotho matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2024. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Lesotho's unemployment rate was 16.32% in 2025. Ranked 169th globally. This represents a 0.2% decrease from the previous year.
Lesotho's unemployment rate peaked at 18.39% in 2020.
The lowest unemployment rate in Lesotho was 15.45% in 1992.
Lesotho ranks 169th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The unemployment rate of Lesotho in 2025 was 16.32%. This ranks 169th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_lesotho_unemployment-rate,
title = {Lesotho Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/lesotho/unemployment-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}