Labour force participation in Lesotho
The ILO estimates that 57.1% of people aged 15 and over in Lesotho were in the labour force in 2025.
Lesotho, 2025
57.1%
Change from 2024
−0.3percentage points
World, 2025
60.8%
Position in 2025
127th of 181
Labour force participation in Lesotho over time
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Lesotho
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The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of working-age population aged 15 and over. Source: ILO, ILOSTAT (ILO Modelled Estimates). Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years. Dashed lines are projections.
| Period | Lesotho | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 57.1% | 60.8% |
| 2024 | 57.4% | 61.0% |
| 2023 | 57.5% | 61.0% |
| 2022 | 57.5% | 60.7% |
| 2021 | 56.8% | 60.4% |
| 2020 | 57.1% | 59.7% |
| 2019 | 57.7% | 61.0% |
| 2018 | 59.0% | 61.2% |
| 2017 | 60.2% | 61.3% |
| 2016 | 61.5% | 61.5% |
Flags: f Projection . A dash means no value was published.
In short
- That is a change of −0.3 percentage points from 57.4% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 62.8%, the figure has changed by −5.7 percentage points.
- Among the 181 countries with data for 2025, Lesotho has the 127th highest value.
- The figure for the world in 2025 was 60.8%.
More for Lesotho
All statistics for Lesotho
Women's labour force participation
48.1%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment-to-population ratio
47.8%
2025 · ILOSTAT
ILO estimate of the unemployment rate
16.3%
2025 · ILOSTAT
ILO estimate of youth unemployment
24.7%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment in agriculture
30.9%
2025 · World Bank
Employment in industry
33.0%
2025 · World Bank