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Lesotho - People

The population of Lesotho was approximately 2 million people in 2012. World Bank population estimates are slightly higher than those of the Bureau of Statistics of Lesotho. More than 99% of Lesotho's population is ethnically Basotho; other ethnic groups include Europeans, Asians, and Xhosa. The country's population is 90% Christian, the majority of whom are Roman Catholic. Other religions are Islam, Hindu, and indigenous beliefs. Sesotho and English are official languages, and other languages spoken include Xhosa.

Lesotho is divided into ten districts, and more than a quarter of the population resides Maseru District, where the capital, Maseru is located. Urbanization is steadily increasing, from 22.5 percent in 2006 to 27 percent in 2010. The annual rate of urbanization is estimated at 3.4 percent. Unemployment rates in urban areas are estimated at 24 percent in (Labor Survey 2008), and about 72 percent of those employed are engaged informally and paid in-kind. However, more than 70 percent of the population still lives in the rural areas, relying on agriculture (crops and livestock) for their livelihoods.

Lesotho enjoys relative ethnic homogeneity (apart from small Xhosa- and Ndebele-speaking minorities, all inhabitants speak Sesotho as a first language).

Lesotho is one of the few countries with a reverse gender gap in favor of women, especially in terms of literacy rates and professional employment. Lesotho has also made strides towards promoting gender equality, and the country is ranked 14 out of 135 countries (the highest among African countries) for women’s equality in the 2012 Global Gender Gap Report. One explanation that keeps being repeated when the gender issue is probed relates to Lesotho’s recent past. Historically, large numbers of men from Lesotho crossed the border to work in South Africa’s mines, forcing women to step into their shoes and take up school places and jobs. Following retrenchment by the mines, many of the men (mostly unskilled) returned home to face a more female-focused world.

The Kingdom of Lesotho has the third highest HIV prevalence in the world, estimated at 23.2 percent. Lesotho’s hyperendemic HIV situation is driven by heterosexual practices such as multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships and transactional and intergenerational sex. Basotho women are more affected, with an HIV prevalence that is higher than their male counterparts (26% versus 19%). In one third of all couples, at least one partner is HIV positive. Approximately 270,000 People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) resided in Lesotho as of 2009, though only 22,000 people received antiretroviral therapy of the 85,000 people in need of treatment. Poor access to health services, estimated at 26% coverage, had resulted in 18,000 deaths due to AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic.

HIV/AIDS remains the leading cause of death in Lesotho; more than 20,000 Basotho die of AIDS-related illness each year (UNAIDS Global Report, 2006). According to the Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), 24% of sexually active adults (15-49 years old) are infected with HIV. Among those infected, women of reproductive age and urban residents are disproportionately affected, with the districts of Maseru and Leribe consistently reporting particularly elevated prevalence rates. Men and rural residents have inequitable access to products and services. Despite this demonstrated need for robust prevention activities, including testing, many Basotho do not have access to adequate resources or counseling and testing services.

The GOL has provided strong political commitment to support a national response to the pandemic. In 2004 King Letsie III declared AIDS a national disaster and helped to launch the Know Your Status Campaign (KYS) aimed at testing all Basotho over the age of 12 years, and launched an ambitious national program to provide free antiretroviral treatment throughout the entire country. Although the GOL has a severe shortage of healthcare professionals at all levels, they have created policies and guidelines for best practice that have allowed care and treatment to be provided to more people through task shifting and decentralization of service provision.