Share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho
Lesotho: Share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking was 42.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho stood at 42.0%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.5% on the previous year and down 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho peaked at 84.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 42.0%, in 2024.
Lesotho ranks 62nd of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 84.0% | — |
| 2001 | 82.0% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 81.0% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 79.0% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 77.0% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 76.0% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 75.0% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 73.0% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 72.0% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 70.0% | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 69.0% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 67.0% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 65.0% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 63.0% | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 60.0% | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 58.0% | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 56.0% | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 54.0% | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 53.0% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 51.0% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 50.0% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 48.0% | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 46.0% | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 44.0% | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 42.0% | -4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 76.9% | 70.0% | 84.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.6% | 51.0% | 69.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.0% | 42.0% | 50.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More economy & growth data for Lesotho
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 9.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 17.31 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 18,849 current LCU per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 1.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.7715 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 840.09 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 11.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.33 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per capita 1,450 current US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 8.87 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho?
- Share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking in Lesotho was 42.0% in 2024, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 84.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.0% in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking?
- Lesotho ranks 62nd out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of population without primary reliance on clean fuels and technology is calculated as the number of people unable to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting divided by total population reporting that any cooking, heating or lighting, expressed as percentage. “Clean” is defined by the emission rate targets and specific fuel recommendations (i.e. against unprocessed coal and kerosene) included in the normative guidance WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: household fuel combustion.