Wage Payments into Accounts Statistics in Lesotho (2026)

According to World Bank Global Findex data, 16.3% of adults in Lesotho received wage payments into an account in 2024. Down from 18.2% in 2022 to 16.3% in 2024 (−1.9 percentage points). Lesotho ranks #11 of 36 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa on this measure, and #90 of 140 globally.

Key Statistics

Latest value (2024): 16.3% (2024); Wage Payments into Accounts in Lesotho as of 2024, the most recent observation in World Bank Global Findex data.
Change since 2022: −1.9 pp (2024); Down from 18.2% in 2022 to 16.3% in 2024 (−1.9 percentage points).
Earliest value in this dataset (2017): 10% (2017); Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Up from 10% in 2017 to 16.3% in 2024.
Peak value (2022): 18.2% (2022); Highest value in the available series; the 2024 value is 16.3%.
Rank in Sub-Saharan Africa: #11 of 36 (2024); Lesotho ranks 11 of 36 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data, based on each country's latest value.
Global rank: #90 of 140 (2024); Lesotho ranks 90 of 140 countries with data globally.
Sub-Saharan Africa average: 12.4% (2024); Lesotho (16.3%) is above the average of 12.4% across the 36 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data.
Among women (2024): 12.6% (2024); Value for women in Lesotho, same 2024 World Bank Global Findex data.
Among men (2024): 20.5% (2024); Value for men in Lesotho, same 2024 World Bank Global Findex data.
Gender gap (women minus men): −7.9 pp (2024); In 2024, the figure was 12.6% for women and 20.5% for men — 7.9 percentage points lower among women.
Internet use in Lesotho (2024): 51.8% (2024); 51.8% of the population in Lesotho used the internet in 2024 (World Bank); shown for context only.
Population (2024): 2.3 million (2024); Lesotho had a population of 2.3 million in 2024 (World Bank); shown for scale only.

Trend, 2017–2024

Wage Payments into Accounts in Lesotho by year (% of adults (age 15+))
Year	% of adults (age 15+)	Change
2024	16.3%	−1.9 pp
2022	18.2%	+8.2 pp
2017	10%	—

Fig. 1 — Wage Payments into Accounts in Lesotho, 2017–2024

Frequently asked questions

What share of adults in Lesotho received wage payments into an account?

16.3% of adults in Lesotho received wage payments into an account in 2024, according to World Bank Global Findex data.

How recent is the wage payments into accounts data for Lesotho?

The most recent observation is from 2024. World Bank Global Findex data is reported with a lag, so 2024 is the latest available year for Lesotho.

Where does the wage payments into accounts data for Lesotho come from?

The data comes from the World Bank Global Findex (indicator fin32.acc). The latest observation for Lesotho is from 2024; the snapshot was retrieved on 2026-06-10.

How has wage payments into accounts in Lesotho changed over time?

World Bank Global Findex data show a rise from 10% in 2017 to 16.3% in 2024.

How does Lesotho compare with other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Lesotho ranks 11 of 36 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data, with 16.3% versus a regional average of 12.4% (latest values per country).

Source & methodology

Source: World Bank Global Findex, indicator fin32.acc, retrieved 2026-06-10.

Figures are shown exactly as published in the source dataset; only the change column of the trend table is computed from adjacent published values.Read more on the methodology page. All figures are estimates and projections; this is not financial advice.

Last updated 2026-06-10.