Migration trends in Lesotho

Africa

Lesotho loses more people than it takes in: 246.9K emigrants against 9K immigrants. Net balance −238K — 10% of the country's population

2.3M

Population

Immigrants

246.9K

Emigrants

−238K

Outflow

1 in 260 residents of Lesotho was born abroad — and 1 in 10 people born in Lesotho lives abroad

#126 in the world by net migration loss

Top corridors

The largest migration flows in Lesotho

Where people move to

237.7K96.3%

8.2K3.3%

2920.1%

Where people come from

1South Africa

6K66.4%

2India

5225.8%

3Pakistan

5225.8%

Immigrants in Lesotho

Key moments

How migration has changed since 1990

1990

4.5K immigrants · 130.3K emigrants

2015

A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 43%

Today

Since 1990: roughly the same number of foreign-born residents and 116.7K more emigrants

Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)

Ask Migo

Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data

Basotho Diaspora

All about the Basotho diaspora

Where the diaspora lives, how many people have left and how that has changed

Immigrants in Lesotho

All about immigrants in Lesotho

Where immigrants come from, how many there are and how that has changed

+10

Where to live?

Score countries, regions and cities by what matters to you

Living in Lesotho

See the full country overview

Diaspora Immigrants