Where Basotho move
246.9K Basotho live abroad — #126 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Considering a move from Lesotho? — See top destinations, regional flows, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 100% of all emigrants
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 237718 |
| Mozambique | 8173 |
| Botswana | 292 |
| Eswatini | 226 |
| Australia | 157 |
| Tanzania | 143 |
| Namibia | 139 |
| Denmark | 48 |
| Guinea | 28 |
| Norway | 10 |
| Slovakia | 3 |
| Hungary | 1 |
| Greece | 0 |
| Bolivia | 0 |
By destination region
Africa is the leading destination region at 100%
246.7K
157
62
0
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Lesotho.
South Africa is the primary destination for emigrants
South Africa attracts 96% of all emigrants from Lesotho, while the second-largest destination receives just 3%.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 9 residents of Lesotho has emigrated — 246.9K out of 2.3M, representing 10.6% of the population.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 130251 |
| 1995 | 122192 |
| 2000 | 121214 |
| 2005 | 138931 |
| 2010 | 161987 |
| 2015 | 191588 |
| 2020 | 224803 |
| 2024 | 246938 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | South Africa | Mozambique | Botswana | Eswatini | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 126222 | 2875 | 505 | 293 | 46 |
| 1995 | 116921 | 3955 | 816 | 111 | 59 |
| 2000 | 114876 | 4601 | 1212 | 131 | 67 |
| 2005 | 130208 | 6319 | 1827 | 167 | 92 |
| 2010 | 153913 | 7201 | 241 | 198 | 112 |
| 2015 | 183120 | 7465 | 261 | 221 | 150 |
| 2020 | 215957 | 7842 | 277 | 223 | 150 |
| 2024 | 237718 | 8173 | 292 | 226 | 157 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Lesotho as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Lesotho