Lesotho
Capital: Maseru · Lower middle income · Pop. 2.3 million
Source: World Bank Open Data (WHO/UNICEF JMP & FAO AQUASTAT) · drinking water 2024
In Lesotho, 31.32% of the population uses safely managed drinking water — an improved source, located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination (2024 estimate). That leaves roughly 1.6 million people without safely managed drinking water at home.
Sanitation tracks closely: 43.75% use safely managed sanitation services and 47.89% have at least a basic service (2024).
Lesotho has about 2,288 cubic meters of renewable internal freshwater per person each year. It withdraws the equivalent of 1% of those internal resources annually (low water stress).
Agriculture accounts for about 9% of Lesotho's water withdrawals, the rest going to households and industry.
Common questions
How many people in Lesotho have safe drinking water?
31.32% of Lesotho's population uses safely managed drinking water (2024), per WHO/UNICEF data; about 1.6 million people do not.
Does Lesotho have enough freshwater?
Lesotho has roughly 2,288 m³ of renewable internal freshwater per person per year, and uses about 1% of it annually (low stress).