Electoral Democracy Index in Lesotho

Lesotho: Electoral Democracy Index was 0.661 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.661
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
60th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.667
in 2023
All-time low
0.045
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Electoral Democracy Index in Lesotho, 1900–2025

00.20.40.6190019622025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Lesotho recorded 0.661 for electoral democracy index in 2025.

The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 10.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electoral democracy index in Lesotho peaked at 0.667 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.045, in 1900.

Lesotho ranks 60th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.045 0.045 0.045 10
1910s 0.045 0.045 0.045 10
1920s 0.045 0.045 0.045 10
1930s 0.045 0.045 0.045 10
1940s 0.045 0.045 0.045 10
1950s 0.0688 0.052 0.073 10
1960s 0.1828 0.089 0.358 10
1970s 0.1186 0.115 0.141 10
1980s 0.1239 0.119 0.127 10
1990s 0.3073 0.158 0.501 10
2000s 0.527 0.315 0.614 10
2010s 0.5858 0.501 0.621 10
2020s 0.6452 0.616 0.667 6

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 57 Colombia 0.679 compare
  2. 58 Peru 0.667 compare
  3. 59 Botswana 0.665 compare
  4. 61 Nepal 0.656 compare
  5. 62 Gambia 0.641 compare
  6. 63 Guatemala 0.637 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is electoral democracy index in Lesotho?
Electoral democracy index in Lesotho was 0.661 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 0.667 in 2023.
What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 0.045 in 1900.
How does Lesotho rank for electoral democracy index?
Lesotho ranks 60th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Electoral Democracy Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.