Homicide rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Homicide rate was 38.24 homicides per 100,000 population in 2008. ▲ Rising
Homicide rate in Lesotho, 1990–2008
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in homicides per 100,000 population.
Analysis
In 2008, homicide rate in Lesotho stood at 38.24 homicides per 100,000 population.
That represents a change of down 16.5% on the previous year and down 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Lesotho peaked at 45.82 homicides per 100,000 population in 2007 and was at its lowest, 28.68 homicides per 100,000 population, in 1990.
Lesotho ranks 11th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 34.16 homicides per 100,000 population | 28.68 homicides per 100,000 population | 43.21 homicides per 100,000 population | 5 |
| 2000s | 42.03 homicides per 100,000 population | 38.24 homicides per 100,000 population | 45.82 homicides per 100,000 population | 2 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 8 Haiti 41.15 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 9 Trinidad and Tobago 40.44 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 10 Saint Lucia 39.04 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 12 Bahamas 32.2 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 13 Honduras 31.44 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 14 Anguilla 29.14 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for Lesotho
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 478 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 27 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.873 (2025)
- Human Rights Index 0.835 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.512 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 2 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.404 (2025)
- Key features of human rights 0.835 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate in Lesotho?
- Homicide rate in Lesotho was 38.24 homicides per 100,000 population in 2008, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 45.82 homicides per 100,000 population in 2007.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.68 homicides per 100,000 population in 1990.
- How does Lesotho rank for homicide rate?
- Lesotho ranks 11th out of 179 countries with data for 2008.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicide rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population.