Geographical location :
Landlocked country entirely surrounded by South Africa, located in the mountainous region of Southern Africa.
(i.e. 2,311,472)
nominal, current US$
Note. (constant 2015 US$): ~ USD 2,124
Why we consider Lesotho a “failed / fragile state” candidate.
Lesotho exhibits structural fragility arising from its economic dependence, weak institutional capacity, and high crime/incidence of violence. According to the BTI 2024 report, Lesotho is recorded as having high rates of violent crime and limited capacity to enforce rule of law: “misuse of firearms is a prominent issue … lack of capacity to effectively combat illegal possession and use of arms” Also, only ~72.2 % of the population has access to water, ~50.3 % to basic sanitation, reflecting severe service delivery gaps.
Economically, Lesotho is heavily reliant on remittances and revenues from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), making it vulnerable to external shocks and reducing incentives for diversified growth.
The country’s public sector struggles with inefficiency, while rural and remote areas remain under-served, and governance reforms have been partly rhetorical rather than fully implemented.
