STATISTICS: LESOTHO

Lesotho Official name: Lesotho (Sotho); Kingdom of Lesotho (English). Form of government: multiparty republic{1} with 2 legislative houses (Senate [33 {2}]; National Assembly ). Chief of state: King. Head of government: Prime Minister. Capital: Maseru. Official languages: Sotho; English. Official religion: Christianity. Monetary unit: 1 loti (plural maloti ) = 100 lisente; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = M 5.83; 1 = M 9.93. Demography Population (1998): 2,090,000{3}. Density (1998){3}: persons per sq mi 178.3, persons per sq km 68.9. Urban-rural (1992): urban 20.9%; rural 79.1%. Sex distribution (1995): male 49.23%; female 50.77%. Age breakdown (1995): under 15, 41.3%; 15-29, 27.0%; 30-44, 16.0%; 45-59, 9.1%; 60-74, 5.0%; 75 and over, 1.6%. Population projection{3}: (2000) 2,167,000; (2010) 2,445,000. Doubling time: 28 years. Ethnic composition (1986): Sotho 85.0%; Zulu 15.0%. Religious affiliation (1995): Christian 70.1%, of which Roman Catholic 39.0%, Protestant (mostly Presbyterian) 14.1%, African Christian 11.4%; other (mostly traditional beliefs) 29.9%. Major urban centres (1986): Maseru 109,382; Maputsoe 20,000; Teyateyaneng 14,251; Mafeteng 12,667; Hlotse 9,595. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1995-2000): 35.4 (world avg. 25.0); legitimate, n.a; illegitimate, n.a. Death rate per 1,000 population (1995-2000): 10.6 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1995-2000): 24.8 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1995-2000): 4.9. Marriage rate per 1,000 population: n.a. Divorce rate per 1,000 population: n.a. Life expectancy at birth (1990-95): male 58.0 years; female 63.0 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population: n.a.; however, major diseases include malaria, typhoid fever, and infectious and parasitic diseases. National economy Budget (1995-96). Revenue: M 1,790,300,000 (1993-94; tax revenue 78.8%, of which customs receipts 53.5%, sales tax 10.1%, income tax 7.3%, company tax 4.6%; grants and nontax revenue 21.2%). Expenditures: M 1,608,800,000 (recurrent expenditure 67.5%, of which education 20.9%, public works 12.8%, health 6.7%, defense 6.4%; capital expenditure 32.5%). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1996): corn (maize) 199,000, roots and tubers 63,000, sorghum 31,000, wheat 20,000, vegetables 20,000, fruit 16,000, dry beans 4,500, dry peas 1,075; livestock (number of live animals) 1,200,000 sheep, 750,000 goats, 590,000 cattle, 152,000 asses, 120,000 horses, 70,000 pigs, 1,500,000 chickens; roundwood (1995) 709,000 cu m; fish catch (1994) 35. Mining and quarrying (1988): sand and gravel 50,000 cu m. Manufacturing (value added in U.S.$'000,000; 1994): food products 51; beverages 38; textiles 12; chemical products 8; metal products 4; wearing apparel 3. Construction (permits issued in M '000,000; 1996): residential 11.17; nonresidential 165.97. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1988) 1,000,000 (n.a.); coal, none (n.a); petroleum, none (n.a.); natural gas, none (n.a.). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$611,600,000. Tourism (1994): receipts from visitors U.S.$17,000,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$7,000,000. Population economically active (1993): total 617,871; activity rate of total population 45.1% (participation rates: ages 15-64 79.8%; female 23.7%; unemployed 35.0%). Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1986) 4.8; average annual income per household (1986-87) M 2,832 (U.S.$1,297); sources of income (1986-87): transfer payments 44.7%, self-employment 27.8%, wages and salaries 22.4%, other 5.1%; expenditure (1989): food 48.0%, clothing 16.4%, household durable goods 11.9%, housing and energy 10.1%, transportation 4.7%. Gross national product (at current market prices; 1996): U.S.$1,331,000,000 (U.S.$660 per capita). Land use (1994): meadows and pastures 65.9%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 10.5%; other 23.6%. Foreign trade{4} Imports (1995): M 2,880,930,000 (1990; manufactured goods [excluding chemicals, machinery, and transport equipment] 42.5%; food and live animals 19.1%; machinery and transport equipment 15.3%; petroleum products 8.6%). Major import sources: Customs Union of Southern Africa 90.0%; Asia 5.9%; Europe 3.3%, of which European Economic Community 2.3%; the Americas 0.8%. Exports (1995): M 395,110,000 (1994; manufactured goods 87.5%, of which clothing 54.8%, furniture 8.0%, footwear 6.9%, machinery and transport equipment 2.0%; crude materials 6.3%, of which wool 4.5%, mohair 1.7%; food and live animals 5.5%, of which cereals 1.5%, cattle 1.2%, vegetables 0.7%; chemicals 0.5%; diamonds 0.2%). Major export destinations: Customs Union of Southern Africa 51.6%; the Americas 37.6%; Europe 9.4%, of which European Economic Community 9.3%; Asia 0.2%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1996): length 1.6 mi, 2.6 km. Roads (1995): total length 3,079 mi, 4,955 km (paved 18%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 11,100; trucks and buses 22,200. Merchant marine: vessels (100 gross tons and over) none. Air transport (1996): passenger-mi 3,900,000, passenger-km 6,200,000; short ton-mi cargo 395,000, metric ton-km cargo 577,000; airports (1997) with scheduled flights 1. Education and health Educational attainment (1986-87). Percentage of population age 10 and over having: no formal education 22.9%; primary 52.8%; secondary 23.2%; higher 0.6%. Literacy (1995): total population age 15 and over literate 849,700 (71.3%); males literate 468,000 (81.1%); females literate 381,700 (62.3%). Health (1993): physicians 136 (1 per 14,306 persons); hospital beds (1992) 2,400 (1 per 765 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births 71.5. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 1,972 (vegetable products 93%, animal products 7%); 86% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1997): 2,000{5}. Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 1.9% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$14. {1} New constitution, effective April 1993, ended seven years of military rule. {2} Composed of 22 chiefs and 11 nominated members. {3} Excludes absentee miners working in South Africa. {4} Import figures are f.o.b. in balance of trade and c.i.f. in commodities and trading partners. {5} Royal Lesotho Defence Force.