Editing Lesotho (section)

==Demographics==
{{See also|Demographics of Lesotho}}
{{Largest cities
| country = Lesotho
| stat_ref = Source:<ref name=LESOTHOCITIES>{{cite web|url=https://simplemaps.com/static/data/country-cities/ls/ls.xlsx|title=Lesotho Cities by Population 2022|access-date=24 June 2023|archive-date=24 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624032215/https://simplemaps.com/static/data/country-cities/ls/ls.xlsx|url-status=live}}</ref>
| list_by_pop =
| div_name =
| div_link = Districts of Lesotho{{!}}District
| city_1 = Maseru| div_1 = Maseru District{{!}}Maseru| pop_1 = 519,186| img_1 = Maseru City CBD.jpg
| city_2 = Teyateyaneng | div_2 =  Berea District{{!}}Berea| pop_2 = 75,115| img_2 =
| city_3 =Mafeteng| div_3 = Mafeteng District{{!}}Mafeteng| pop_3 = 57,059| img_3 =Likhoele.jpg
| city_4 =  Hlotse | div_4 = Leribe District{{!}}Leribe| pop_4 = 47,675	| img_4 = Hlotse_central_part.jpg
| city_5 = Maputsoe | div_5 = Leribe District{{!}}Leribe| pop_5 = 32,117
| city_6 = 	Mazenod, Lesotho{{!}}Mazenod| div_6 = Maseru District{{!}}Maseru| pop_6 = 27,553
| city_7 = Ratau| div_7 = Maseru District{{!}}Maseru | pop_7 = 26,582
| city_8 =Mohale's Hoek| div_8 = Mohale's Hoek District{{!}} Mohale's Hoek| pop_8 = 24,992
| city_9 = 	Qiloane| div_9 = Maseru District{{!}}Maseru  | pop_9 = 24,093
| city_10 = Mapoteng| div_10 = Berea District{{!}}Berea| pop_10 = 23,926
}}
[[File:Lesotho class.jpg|thumb|Primary school class]]
Lesotho has a population of approximately {{UN_Population|Lesotho}}.{{UN_Population|ref}} The population distribution of Lesotho is 25% urban and 75% rural. It is estimated that the annual increase in urban population is 3.5%.<ref name="factbook">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/|title=Lesotho|work=The World Factbook|access-date=15 May 2007|df=dmy-all|archive-date=2 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702003726/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/|url-status=live}}</ref> 60.2% of the population is between 15 and 64 years of age.<ref name="factbook"/>

===Ethnic groups and languages===
{{Main|Languages of Lesotho}}
Lesotho's ethno-linguistic structure consists mostly of the [[Basotho]], a [[Bantu languages|Bantu-speaking]] people: an estimated 99.7% of the people identify as Basotho. In this regard, Lesotho is part of a minority of African countries that are [[nation states]] with a single dominant cultural ethnic group and language; the majority of African nations' borders were drawn by [[colonisation of Africa|colonial powers]] and do not correspond to ethnic boundaries or pre-colonial polities.{{sfn|Boyd|1979|p=1}} Basotho subgroups include the Bafokeng, Batloung, Baphuthi, Bakuena, Bataung, Batšoeneng, and [[Matebele]]. About 1% of the population consists of Europeans, Asians, and [[Xhosa people|Xhosa]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://minorityrights.org/country/lesotho/ |title=Lesotho - World Directory of Minorities & Indigenous Peoples |access-date=22 September 2023 |archive-date=29 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529163348/https://minorityrights.org/country/lesotho/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Lesotho}}
[[File:St Michaels Cathedral, lesotho.jpg|thumb|St Michaels Cathedral]]
In December 2011, the population of Lesotho is estimated to be more than 95% [[Christianism|Christian]].<ref name="Pew Christians">{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/table-christian-population-as-percentages-of-total-population-by-country/|title=Table: Christian Population as Percentages of Total Population by Country| date=19 December 2011 |publisher=Pew Research Center|access-date=21 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511124911/http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/table-christian-population-as-percentages-of-total-population-by-country/|archive-date=11 May 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Among these estimations, [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] represent 49.4% of the population,<ref name=ARDA/> served by the province of the Metropolitan [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maseru|Archbishop of Maseru]] and his three suffragans (the bishops of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Leribe|Leribe]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Mohale's Hoek|Mohale's Hoek]] and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Qacha's Nek|Qacha's Nek]]), who form the national [[episcopal conference]]. [[Protestantism|Protestants]] account for 18.2% of the population, [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostals]] 15.4%, [[Anglican Communion|Anglicans]] 5.3%, and other Christians an additional 1.8%.<ref name=ARDA>{{cite web|date=2015|title=Lesotho|access-date=18 May 2020|publisher=[[Association of Religion Data Archives]]|url=http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_130_1.asp|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811214132/https://thearda.com/internationalData/Countries/Country_130_1.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> Non-Christian religions represent 9.6% of the population, and those of [[irreligion|no religion]] 0.2%.<ref name=ARDA/>

===Education and literacy===
{{Main|Education in Lesotho}}
[[File:National University of Lesotho Administration Block.jpg|thumb|[[National University of Lesotho]]]]
According to estimates, 85% of women and 68% of men over the age of 15 are literate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.unesco.org/countries/lesotho|title=Lesotho|date=2014-11-04|website=UNESCO|language=en|access-date=2019-05-18|archive-date=18 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518113538/https://en.unesco.org/countries/lesotho|url-status=live}}</ref> As such, Lesotho holds "one of the highest literacy rates in Africa",<ref name="factbook"/> in part because Lesotho invests over 12% of its GDP in education.<ref name="unesco">{{cite web| url=http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/tableviewer/document.aspx?ReportId=143| title=Unesco Institute for Statistics: Date Centre| date=14 September 2007| access-date=28 February 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130085835/http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/tableviewer/document.aspx?ReportId=143| archive-date=30 January 2011| url-status=live| df=dmy-all}}</ref> Female literacy (84.93%) exceeds male literacy (67.75%) by 17.18%. According to a study by the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality in 2000, 37% of grade 6 pupils in Lesotho (average age 14 years) are at or above reading level 4, "Reading for Meaning."<ref name=sacmeq>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacmeq.org/education-lesotho.htm |title=The SACMEQ II Project in Lesotho: A Study of the Conditions of Schooling and the Quality of Education. Harare: SACMEQ |publisher=Sacmeq |date=2 October 2005 |access-date=4 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425052229/http://www.sacmeq.org/education-lesotho.htm |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref> A pupil at this level of literacy can read ahead or backwards through parts of text to link and interpret information. While education is not compulsory, the Government of Lesotho is incrementally implementing a program for free primary education.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.education.gov.ls/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30 |title=Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training – Basic Education |publisher=Education.gov.ls |date=5 October 2005 |access-date=4 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720222113/http://www.education.gov.ls/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30 |archive-date=20 July 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In a 2009 report, adult literacy is as high as 82%.<ref name="undp">[http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf Human Development Report 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091122115116/http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf|date=22 November 2009}}. The United Nations. Retrieved 7 March 2012.</ref>

According to the [[International Telecommunication Union]], 3.4% of the population use the internet. A service from [[Telecom Lesotho|Econet Telecom Lesotho]] expanded the country's access to email through entry-level, low-end mobile phones and consequently improved access to educational information. The [[African Library Project]] works to establish school and village libraries in partnership with [[Peace Corps|US Peace Corps Lesotho]]<ref name="peacecorps">{{cite web|url=http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.wherepc.africa.lesotho |title=Peace Corps: Lesotho |date=14 July 2010 |access-date=28 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205042351/http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.Wherepc.africa.lesotho |archive-date= 5 February 2011 }}</ref> and the [[Butha-Buthe District]] of Education.

===Health===
{{main|Health in Lesotho}}
The country is among the "Low Human Development" countries (rank 160 of 187 on the [[Human Development Index]] as classified by [[United Nations Development Programme|UNDP]]), with 52 years of life expectancy for men and women, estimated in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=UNDP Lesotho – Country Profile: Human Development Indicators |url=http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/LSO.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511193855/http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/LSO.html |archive-date=11 May 2013 |access-date=10 March 2012}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2019-07-22 |title=CDC Global Health - Lesotho |url=https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/lesotho/default.htm |access-date=2019-11-22 |website=www.cdc.gov |language=en-us |archive-date=8 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200308071010/https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/lesotho/default.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Life expectancy at birth in Lesotho in 2016 was 51 years for men and 55 for women. Infant mortality is about 8.3%.

As of 2018, Lesotho's adult [[List of countries by HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate|H.I.V./A.I.D.S. prevalence rate]] of 23.6% was the second-highest in the world, after [[Eswatini]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prevalence of H.I.V., total (% of population ages 15-49) - Lesotho {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.AIDS.ZS?locations=LS&most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart|access-date=2020-07-14|website=data.worldbank.org|archive-date=14 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714175356/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.AIDS.ZS?locations=LS&most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, Lesotho had a 22.8% [[H.I.V.]] prevalence rate among people between 15 and 49 years of age.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-07-21|title=HIV and AIDS in Lesotho|url=https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/sub-saharan-africa/lesotho|access-date=2022-01-19|website=Avert|language=en|archive-date=2 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002003817/https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/sub-saharan-africa/lesotho|url-status=live}}</ref> The country has the highest incidence of [[tuberculosis]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people) {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.TBS.INCD?most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart|access-date=2020-07-14|website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref>

According to the 2006 census of Lesotho, around 4% of the population is thought to have some sort of disability. There are concerns regarding the reliability of the methodologies used and the real figure is thought to be closer to the global estimate of 15%. According to a survey conducted by the Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled in conjunction with SINTEF,<ref>Yusman Kamaleri and Arne H. Eide (eds.) (2011) [http://www.lnfod.org.ls/uploads/1/2/2/5/12251792/report_lesotho_3101111.pdf Living Conditions of People with Disability in Lesotho] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402154124/http://www.lnfod.org.ls/uploads/1/2/2/5/12251792/report_lesotho_3101111.pdf |date=2 April 2015 }}. SINTEF Technology and Society. lnfod.org.ls</ref> people with disability in Lesotho face social and cultural barriers which prevent them from accessing education, health-care and employment on an equal basis with others. On 2 December 2008, Lesotho became the 42nd country in the world to sign the U.N. [[Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities]].

According to [[World Health Organization]] data, Lesotho has had the world's highest rate of suicide per capita since 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.MHSUICIDEASDR?lang=en|title=Suicide rates Data by country|year=2016|publisher=[[World Health Organization]]|access-date=23 September 2018|archive-date=18 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018170407/http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.MHSUICIDEASDR?lang=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Violence against women===
{{Main|Women in Lesotho}}
According to the U.N., in 2008 Lesotho had the highest rape rate of any country (91.6 reported rapes per 100,000 people).<ref>[http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rap_rat-crime-rape-rate "Countries Compared by Crime > Rape rate. International Statistics at NationMaster.com"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201093758/http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rap_rat-crime-rape-rate |date=1 December 2011 }}. nationmaster.com.</ref> International data from [[UNODC]] found the incidence of rape recorded in 2008 by the police to be the highest in Lesotho out of any country in the study.<ref name="unodc1">[http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Crime-statistics/Sexual_violence_sv_against_children_and_rape.xls "Rape at the National Level, number of police recorded offenses".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029210321/http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Crime-statistics/Sexual_violence_sv_against_children_and_rape.xls |date=29 October 2013 }} [[United Nations]].</ref> A study in Lesotho found that 61% of women reported having experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives, of whom 22% reported being physically forced to have sexual intercourse.<ref>[https://apha.confex.com/apha/133am/techprogram/paper_114115.htm "Magnitude of sexual violence in Lesotho"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201559/https://apha.confex.com/apha/133am/techprogram/paper_114115.htm |date=29 October 2013 }}. confex.com.</ref> In the 2009 [[Demographic and Health Surveys|D.H.S. survey]], 15.7% of men said that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife if she refuses to have sex with him, while 16% said a husband is justified in using force to have sex.<ref>[http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FR241/FR241%5BNEW_completeHHQst_3March2012%5D.pdf Lesotho. Demographic and Health Survey 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029205745/http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FR241/FR241%5BNEW_completeHHQst_3March2012%5D.pdf |date=29 October 2013 }}. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Maseru, Lesotho. November 2010</ref> In another study, researchers concluded that "Given the high prevalence of HIV in Lesotho, programs should address women's right to control their sexuality."<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 17209284 | volume=37 | issue=4 | title=Sexual violence in Lesotho|year=2006 | journal=Stud Fam Plann | pages=269–80|first=L |last=Brown | doi=10.1111/j.1728-4465.2006.00105.x}}</ref> The ''Married Persons Equality Act 2006'' gives equal rights to wives regarding their husbands, abolishing the husband's [[marital power]].<ref>Buhle Angelo Dube. [http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/lesotho.htm The Law and Legal Research in Lesotho] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620014058/http://nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Lesotho.htm |date=20 June 2010 }}. nyulawglobal.org</ref> The [[World Economic Forum]]'s 2020 Gender Gap Report ranks Lesotho 88th worldwide for [[gender parity]], while neighboring South Africa ranks 17th.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf|title=The Global Gender Gap Report 2020|publisher=World Economic Forum|pages=221, 315|access-date=19 July 2020|archive-date=17 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217140602/http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>