Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Lesotho
Lesotho: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 478 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Lesotho, 1970–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Lesotho is 478, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.1% on the previous year and up 1,441.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Lesotho peaked at 11,850 in 1984 and was at its lowest, 29, in 2013.
That places Lesotho 130th out of 179 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 70 | — |
| 1971 | 190 | +171.4% |
| 1972 | 60 | -68.4% |
| 1973 | 180 | +200.0% |
| 1974 | 190 | +5.6% |
| 1975 | 190 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 900 | +373.7% |
| 1977 | 1,130 | +25.6% |
| 1978 | 990 | -12.4% |
| 1979 | 690 | -30.3% |
| 1980 | 10,000 | +1349.3% |
| 1981 | 11,500 | +15.0% |
| 1982 | 11,500 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 11,500 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 11,850 | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 11,500 | -3.0% |
| 1986 | 11,500 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 4,000 | -65.2% |
| 1988 | 4,230 | +5.8% |
| 1989 | 4,248 | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 212 | -95.0% |
| 1991 | 220 | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 117 | -46.8% |
| 1993 | 60 | -48.7% |
| 1994 | 57 | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 39 | -31.6% |
| 2011 | 38 | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 33 | -13.2% |
| 2013 | 29 | -12.1% |
| 2014 | 43 | +48.3% |
| 2015 | 31 | -27.9% |
| 2016 | 46 | +48.4% |
| 2017 | 55 | +19.6% |
| 2018 | 56 | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 143 | +155.4% |
| 2020 | 271 | +89.5% |
| 2021 | 296 | +9.2% |
| 2022 | 251 | -15.2% |
| 2023 | 319 | +27.1% |
| 2024 | 419 | +31.3% |
| 2025 | 478 | +14.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 478 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11,476, 4% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 478 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 35,241, 1% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +1349.3% | 690 | 10,000 |
| 1976 | +373.7% | 190 | 900 |
| 1973 | +200.0% | 60 | 180 |
| 1971 | +171.4% | 70 | 190 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 459 | 60 | 1,130 | 10 |
| 1980s | 9,183 | 4,000 | 11,850 | 10 |
| 1990s | 133.2 | 57 | 220 | 5 |
| 2000s | 39 | 39 | 39 | 1 |
| 2010s | 52.67 | 29 | 143 | 9 |
| 2020s | 339 | 251 | 478 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 127 Liechtenstein 987 compare
- 128 Botswana 847 compare
- 129 Bosnia and Herzegovina 586 compare
- 131 Saudi Arabia 448 compare
- 132 Kuwait 386 compare
- 133 Belize 347 compare
More social development data for Lesotho
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 478 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 27 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 27 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Lesotho?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Lesotho was 478 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 11,850 in 1984.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 29 in 2013.
- How does Lesotho rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Lesotho ranks 130th out of 179 countries with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,441.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.