Lesotho vs Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)
Lesotho
16.3%
in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
5.7%
in 2025
Lesotho rank
14th
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank
12th
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) over time
- Lesotho
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
How they compare
Lesotho currently reports 16.3% against 5.7% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), a difference of 10.6%.
That makes Lesotho's figure about 2.9 times Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s.
Across all 35 years both countries report, Lesotho has been ahead every year.
Lesotho ranks 14th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 12th of 187 countries.
Lesotho has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lesotho | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.7% | 6.4% | 9.3% | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 16.1% | 6.0% | 10.1% | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 16.2% | 5.9% | 10.3% | Lesotho |
| 2020s | 17.0% | 6.1% | 10.9% | Lesotho |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment, total (% of total labor force), Lesotho or Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Lesotho, at 16.3% against 5.7% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in unemployment, total (% of total labor force) between Lesotho and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 10.6%, with Lesotho ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do Lesotho and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank globally for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Lesotho ranks 14th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 12th of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.