Southern Africa
Lesotho
Absolute number
Prevalence
Married by 15: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 15
Married by 18: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 18
Prevalence of child marriage
- Lesotho
- Southern Africa
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Lesotho and Southern Africa from 1999 to 2024.
In Lesotho, 24% of girls in 1999 married before age 18, compared with 13% in 2024, which is the latest available value.
In Southern Africa, the prevalence was 12% in 1999 and was 4% in 2024.
Show data table
| Year | Lesotho | Southern Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 24.2% | 11.6% |
| 2004 | 20.7% | 9.2% |
| 2009 | 18.2% | 6.3% |
| 2014 | 15.5% | 7.3% |
| 2019 | 15.4% | 5.8% |
| 2024 | 13.4% | 3.9% |
Lesotho
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of Lesotho
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Lesotho in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Lesotho. See the range of values within the country, and explore the map for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of Lesotho
Understand differences
inside the country
Region with no data
2024
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Lesotho in 2024
Region with no data
2024
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Lesotho in 2024
The map shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Lesotho. Data refer to 2024, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in Thaba-Tseka (35%), Butha-Buthe (17%), Qacha's (17%), and Mohale's (16%).
Show data table
| Year | Butha-Buthe | Leribe | Berea | Maseru | Mafeteng | Mohale's | Quthing | Qacha's | Mokhotlong | Thaba-Tseka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16.8% | 9.8% | 6.4% | 13.3% | 14.7% | 16.4% | 5.6% | 16.6% | 16.0% | 35.5% |
Compare countries
How does Lesotho compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- Lesotho
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Lesotho from 1999 to 2024.
In Lesotho, 24% of girls in 1999 married before age 18, compared with 13% in 2024, which is the latest available value.
Residence
Child marriage prevalence
Review the data to find if girls living in rural areas are more likely to marry in childhood than girls in urban areas
The bubble chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) disaggregated by residence in Lesotho. Data refer to the latest available year.
In Lesotho, 13% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 18% of girls in rural areas, compared with 8% in urban areas.
For more data related to child marriage, please see the child marriage country profiles available on the UNICEF Data website
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Where does child marriage occur?
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