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Country comparison

Lesotho vs South Africa

Lesotho and South Africa side by side across 71 indicators — each row links to the full 54-country ranking, with sources and the API call behind every figure.

GDP$2.27B vs $401.14BLesotho vs South Africa
GDP per Capita$972 vs $6,267Lesotho vs South Africa
Population2.34M vs 64.01MLesotho vs South Africa

Indicator by indicator

71 indicators
Indicator Lesotho South AfricaPeriod
GDPEconomy$2.27B$401.14B2024
GDP per CapitaEconomy$972$6,2672024
Inflation RateEconomy2.2%4%2026-03
Central Bank Policy RateEconomy—7%2026-05-01
Official Exchange RateEconomy16.55 LCU/USD16.55 LCU/USD2026-05
Budget BalanceEconomy4.2%-4.9%2026
Unemployment RateEconomy16.3%32.4%2025
Public DebtEconomy49%78.9%2026
Trade BalanceEconomy$-1.18B$7.77B2023
GDP GrowthEconomy2.9%0.5%2024
GNI per CapitaEconomy$1,180$6,1102024
GNI per Capita (PPP)Economy$3,580$15,1502024
GDP (PPP)Economy$7.01B$989.31B2024
Agriculture (% of GDP)Economy6.5%2.8%2024
Industry (% of GDP)Economy30.9%24.3%2024
Manufacturing (% of GDP)Economy13.5%12.8%2024
Services (% of GDP)Economy48%63%2024
Investment (% of GDP)Economy27.2%14.1%2023
Remittances ReceivedEconomy$475.82M$855.37M2024
Remittances (% of GDP)Economy20.9%0.2%2024
External Debt (% of GNI)Economy65.4%44.8%2024
Foreign ReservesEconomy$1.01B$65.43B2024
Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP)Economy25.6%89.4%2024
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)Economy37.3%25.4%2024
Labor Force ParticipationEconomy57.1%55.6%2025
Female Labor Force ParticipationEconomy48.1%49.9%2025
Income Inequality (Gini)Economy44.954.12017
Extreme Poverty RateEconomy41.9%17.4%2017
Account OwnershipEconomy61.6%81.1%2024
Youth NEET RateEconomy38%34.6%2024
Military Spending (% of GDP)Economy1.6%0.7%2024
Trade Openness (% of GDP)Economy141.5%61.6%2023
Inflation (GDP Deflator)Economy3.6%3.9%2024
Tourism ReceiptsEconomy$23.1M$2.72B1999
Tourist ArrivalsEconomy1.14M3.89M2019
Human Development IndexDevelopment0.550.7412023
Gender Inequality IndexDevelopment0.5340.3882023
Inequality-adjusted HDIDevelopment0.3570.4762023
PopulationDemographics2.34M64.01M2024
Population GrowthDemographics1.1%1.2%2024
Life ExpectancyDemographics57.8 years66.3 years2024
Median AgeDemographics22.1 years28.9 years2026
Fertility RateDemographics2.662.212024
Rural PopulationDemographics56.3%36.3%2024
Population Under 15Demographics34.5%25.9%2024
Infant MortalityHealth56.324.22024
HIV PrevalenceHealth17.1%17.2%2024
Health Spending (% of GDP)Health12.6%8.9%2023
Physicians per 1,000Health0.240.792022
UHC Service Coverage IndexHealth55742023
Road Traffic DeathsHealth21.624.52021
Premature NCD MortalityHealth36.3%22.7%2021
Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingHealth13.2%6.7%2023
Safely Managed SanitationHealth43.8%73.8%2024
Education Spending (% of GDP)Education6.6%6%2024
Tertiary EnrollmentEducation9.9%23.5%2018
UndernourishmentFood Security—10%2023
Agricultural Land (% of Land)Agriculture77.8%79.4%2023
Food Production IndexAgriculture98.7113.22022
Sorghum ProductionAgriculture6.26K t98K t2024
Millet ProductionAgriculture—6.33K t2024
Homicide RateGovernance38.243.72008
Corruption Perceptions IndexGovernance37412024
Electoral Democracy IndexGovernance0.6610.7432025
Liberal Democracy IndexGovernance0.5120.6332025
Political Corruption IndexGovernance0.4720.5382025
Women in ParliamentGovernance25%44.7%2025
Internet UsersTechnology51.8%78.4%2024
Mobile SubscriptionsTechnology70.3179.32024
Electricity AccessInfrastructure57.3%87.7%2023
CO2 Emissions per CapitaClimate0.43 t6.88 t2024

Get this comparison via API

GET /v1/data

One call returns both countries' latest value for any indicator — JSON, with source metadata.

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/data?metric_key=gdp_current_usd&latest=true&country_codes=LS,ZA" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"
Lesotho profileSouth Africa profileGet a free API key

Frequently asked questions

Does Lesotho or South Africa have the larger economy?

South Africa has the larger economy: $2.27B for Lesotho versus $401.14B for South Africa (GDP, current US$).

How do Lesotho and South Africa compare across indicators?

This page compares Lesotho and South Africa on 71 indicators — economy, demographics, health, governance and more — each with its latest value, source, and a link to the full 54-country ranking.

How do I get this comparison via the API?

Call GET /v1/data?metric_key=<key>&latest=true&country_codes=LS,ZA with a free Africa API key to get both countries' latest values as JSON.

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