What is press freedom in Lesotho?

Press freedom in Lesotho was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest press freedom recorded in Lesotho?

The highest recorded value was 1 in 1979.

What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Lesotho?

The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1987.

How does Lesotho rank for press freedom?

Lesotho ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.

Is press freedom rising or falling in Lesotho?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Lesotho data come from?

The figures come from Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press freedom. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Press freedom in Lesotho

Name: Press freedom in Lesotho
Creator: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Lesotho: Press freedom was 1 in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

61st

of 194 countries

All-time high

in 1979

All-time low

in 1987

Years of data

1979–2016

Press freedom in Lesotho, 1979–2016

Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2016, press freedom in Lesotho stood at 1. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

The figure is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, press freedom in Lesotho peaked at 1 in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1987.

That places Lesotho 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	1	1	1	1
1980s	0.75	0	1	8
1990s	0.9	0	1	10
2000s	1	1	1	10
2010s	1	1	1	7

Countries ranked near Lesotho

See the full ranking of 194 places →

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)

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is press freedom in Lesotho?: Press freedom in Lesotho was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest press freedom recorded in Lesotho?: The highest recorded value was 1 in 1979.
What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Lesotho?: The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1987.
How does Lesotho rank for press freedom?: Lesotho ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
Is press freedom rising or falling in Lesotho?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?: The figures come from Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press freedom. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Press freedom
Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 194 places, 6,417 data points, 1979–2016
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Based on the classification and data by Freedom House. It captures the legal, political, and economic environment of the press.