Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Lesotho instead of Malawi, you would:

Health

be 2.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Malawi, 8.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Lesotho, that number is 21.1% of people as of 2020.

live 12.9 years less

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Lesotho, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.9 times more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Lesotho, that number is 16.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 47.1% more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in Lesotho, the GDP per capita is $2,500 as of 2023.

be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Malawi, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 16.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 20.4% more likely to be literate

In Malawi, the literacy rate is 67.3% as of 2021. In Lesotho, it is 81.0% as of 2021.

be 48.6% more likely to die during childbirth

In Malawi, approximately 381.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Lesotho, 566.0 women do as of 2020.

be 44.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Malawi, approximately 33.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Lesotho, on the other hand, 48.4 children do as of 2022.

have 13.9% fewer children

In Malawi, there are approximately 26.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lesotho, there are 22.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 3.6 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Malawi, approximately 14% of people have electricity access (54% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Lesotho, that number is 50% of people on average (81% in urban areas, and 38% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 100.0% more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 24.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Lesotho, about 48.0% do as of 2021.

be 10.2% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Malawi, approximately 92% of people have improved drinking water access (97% in urban areas, and 91% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Lesotho, that number is 83% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 77% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 3.0 times more on education

Malawi spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Lesotho spends 8.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 2.2 times more on healthcare

Malawi spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Lesotho, that number is 11.8% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Lesotho: At a glance

Lesotho is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 30,355 sq km. Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In May 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month.
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How big is Lesotho compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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