Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) was 204.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Lesotho, 1991–2025
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT at https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.
Analysis
The most recent figure for ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Lesotho is 204.7%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Lesotho peaked at 208.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 179.2%, in 1997.
That places Lesotho 14th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 179.8% | — |
| 1992 | 179.7% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 179.6% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 179.5% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 179.4% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 179.2% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 179.2% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 179.4% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 179.7% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 179.9% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 180.2% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 180.5% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 180.9% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 181.4% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 182.1% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 182.8% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 183.5% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 184.5% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 185.6% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 186.9% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 188.3% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 189.9% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 191.5% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 193.5% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 195.5% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 197.6% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 199.4% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 201.2% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 203.0% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 208.3% | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 201.8% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 205.1% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 205.4% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 205.5% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 204.7% | -0.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 204.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 113.1%, 1.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 204.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 113.3%, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 179.5% | 179.2% | 179.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 182.2% | 179.9% | 185.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 194.7% | 186.9% | 203.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 205.1% | 201.8% | 208.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More gender data for Lesotho
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 786.22 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.5717 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1,708 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1,708 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 26,291 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 26,787 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 25,880 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 26,319 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 25,717 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Lesotho?
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Lesotho was 204.7% in 2025, according to World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT at https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.
- What is the highest ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 208.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 179.2% in 1997.
- How does Lesotho rank for ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24)?
- Lesotho ranks 14th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT at https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/, published as part of Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Ratio of female to male youth unemployment is the percentage of female to male youth unemployment rates.