Lesotho: Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Lesotho's asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum rose 11 on 2024 (from 191 to 202).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2024), the average change was +14.69 and a typical year strayed about 65.22 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 101 in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 172 in 2024. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 31.67 a year. A straight line explains 64% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Lesotho had the 125th highest value of the 166 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Lesotho in the 2025 ranking

• Nepal — 122nd of 166: 302
• Georgia — 123rd of 166: 288
• Sri Lanka — 124th of 166: 271
• Azerbaijan — 126th of 166: 199
• Montenegro — 127th of 166: 175
• Guinea — 128th of 166: 172

What this measures

Asylum-seekers are individuals who have sought international protection and whose claims for refugee status have not yet been determined. This includes those who are in various stages of the asylum process, such as initial application, appeal, or awaiting final decision. In specific contexts, asylum-seekers may also include those who are seeking protection under complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection, but whose claims are still under consideration.

Limitations: Variability in national asylum procedures and processing times can lead to inconsistencies in data reporting, affecting the accuracy of cross-country comparisons. Unregistered asylum claims or informal border crossings may result in incomplete data, underestimating the true scope of the need for protection. Additionally, the changing status of individuals, such as those asylum-seekers that are recognized as refugees, complicates the tracking and categorization of data.

All 15 values

Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum in nearby economies

• Angola — 30,261 (2025)
• Benin — 11,947 (2025)
• Botswana — 21 (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 1,957 (2025)
• Burundi — 1,466 (2025)
• Cameroon — 18,553 (2025)
• Central African Republic — 8,454 (2025)
• Chad — 9,371 (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 100,112 (2025)
• Congo, Rep.

More social protection & labor data for Lesotho

• Net migration — -5,192 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 478 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 27 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 23.8% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 45.46% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 34.63% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 50.49% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Lesotho's asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum?

202 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How does Lesotho rank?

125th highest of 166 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum unusual for Lesotho?

In 2025, Lesotho's asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum rose 11 on 2024 (from 191 to 202). Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2024), the average change was +14.69 and a typical year strayed about 65.22 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), uri: https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SM.POP.ASYS.EA, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), uri: https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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