Age structure:
0-14 years:
40% (male 426,556; female 421,563)
15-64 years:
56% (male 575,580; female 619,280)
65 years and over:
4% (male 42,274; female 57,888) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.65% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 31.74 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 14.59 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.73 male(s)/female
total population:
0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 82.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
50.79 years
male:
49.78 years
female:
51.84 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.15 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective:
Basotho
Ethnic groups: Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,
Religions: Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Languages: Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
71.3%
male:
81.1%
female:
62.3% (1995 est.)