Lesotho Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Lesotho's unemployment rate was 16.32% in 2025, ranked 169th globally. This represents a 0.2% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Lesotho's unemployment rate stood at 16.32% in 2025, a decline of +0.02pp from 2024. Lesotho ranked 169th globally.
Lesotho’s unemployment rate has hovered around the mid‑teens for three decades, reaching a 35‑year low of 15.45% in 1992 before climbing to an all‑time peak of 18.39% in 2020, a surge that reflected the pandemic‑induced contraction in its informal sector and the slowdown of mining activity. By 2025 the rate stood at 16.32%, placing the kingdom at 169th globally and slightly above Iraq’s 15.48% but below Jordan’s 16.54% and Tunisia’s 15.11%, underscoring a persistent structural challenge relative to regional peers. The modest decline from the 2020 apex suggests that recent public‑works programmes and modest growth in the services segment have begun to absorb idle labour, yet the figure remains above the early‑1990s trough, indicating limited progress in creating sustainable employment. Continued diversification of the economy, particularly through agro‑processing and cross‑border trade, will be critical to push the unemployment rate lower and alter the current trajectory.
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}
}