Lesotho vs Moldova
Moldova is 11% larger than Lesotho.
LesothoMoldovaLesotho moved onto Moldova · Equal-area projection
0.9×
Lesotho is 0.9× the area of Moldova. Put the other way, Moldova is 1.11× the size of Lesotho.
 Lesotho |  Moldova | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| AreaMoldova: 1.11× the area | 30,355 km²#138 of 194 | 33,844 km²#136 of 194 |
| Coastline | Landlocked | Landlocked |
| Land neighbours | 1 | 2 |
| People | ||
| PopulationAbout the same population | 2,363,325#142 of 194 · 2025 | 2,360,527#143 of 194 · 2025 |
| DensityLesotho: 1.12× the density | 78 / km²#107 of 194 | 70 / km²#116 of 194 |
| Urban populationAbout the same urban share | 45%#139 of 192 · 2025 | 44%#142 of 192 · 2025 |
| Fertility rateLesotho: 1.54× the births per woman | 2.66 per woman#64 of 192 · 2024 | 1.73 per woman#113 of 192 · 2024 |
| Population growthLesotho: 2.85 points higher | +1.10%#92 of 192 · 2025 | −1.75%#191 of 192 · 2025 |
| Birth rateLesotho: 2.25× the birth rate | 23.8 per 1,000#55 of 192 · 2024 | 10.6 per 1,000#132 of 192 · 2024 |
| Death rateMoldova: 1.31× the death rate | 10.5 per 1,000#28 of 192 · 2024 | 13.8 per 1,000#5 of 192 · 2024 |
| Children under 15Lesotho: 14.6 points higher | 34.1%#53 of 192 · 2025 | 19.5%#117 of 192 · 2025 |
| People over 65Moldova: 13.0 points higher | 3.9%#144 of 192 · 2025 | 16.9%#47 of 192 · 2025 |
| Net migrationLesotho: 10.4 per 1,000 higher | −2.2 per 1,000#147 of 192 · 2025 | −12.6 per 1,000#187 of 192 · 2025 |
| Refugees abroadMoldova: 248× the refugees for its size | 0.01 per 1,000#155 of 190 · 2025 | 2.48 per 1,000#37 of 190 · 2025 |
| Health & education | ||
| Life expectancyMoldova: 13.5 years longer | 57.8 years#188 of 192 · 2024 | 71.3 years#122 of 192 · 2024 |
| Infant mortalityLesotho: 3.73× the infant mortality | 56.3 per 1,000 births#10 of 191 · 2024 | 15.1 per 1,000 births#82 of 191 · 2024 |
| DoctorsMoldova: 16.8× the doctors per person | 0.24 per 1,000#143 of 178 · 2022 | 4.02 per 1,000#31 of 178 · 2023 |
| University enrolment | — | 74.7%#40 of 145 · 2024 |
| Human Development IndexMoldova: 0.235 higher | 0.550#164 of 190 · 2023 | 0.785#85 of 190 · 2023 |
| Economy | ||
| GNI per capitaMoldova: 6.29× the income per person | $1,280#162 of 185 · 2025 | $8,050#88 of 185 · 2025 |
| GDPMoldova: 7.91× the economy | $2.57B2025 | $20.35B2025 |
| Income group | Lower-middle income | Upper-middle income |
| GDP per capita (PPP)Moldova: 6.28× the output per person | $3,184#169 of 184 · 2025 | $19,996#94 of 184 · 2025 |
| GDP growthMoldova: 0.4 points higher | +2.0%#132 of 187 · 2025 | +2.4%#121 of 187 · 2025 |
| InflationMoldova: 3.5 points higher | +4.3%#50 of 176 · 2025 | +7.8%#30 of 176 · 2025 |
| UnemploymentLesotho: 10.9× the unemployment | 16.3%#13 of 178 · 2025 | 1.5%#168 of 178 · 2025 |
| Extreme poverty | 41.9%#16 of 149 · 2017 | 0.0%#136 of 149 · 2024 |
| Income inequality (Gini)Lesotho: 18.1 higher | 44.9#16 of 149 · 2017 | 26.8#136 of 149 · 2024 |
| Jobs in agricultureMoldova: 19.6 points higher | 30.9% of jobs#57 of 178 · 2025 | 50.5% of jobs#24 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in industryLesotho: 20.4 points higher | 33.0% of jobs#9 of 178 · 2025 | 12.6% of jobs#149 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in servicesMoldova: 0.8 points higher | 36.1% of jobs#155 of 178 · 2025 | 36.9% of jobs#153 of 178 · 2025 |
| Foreign investmentMoldova: 1.0 points higher | 1.3% of GDP#117 of 184 · 2025 | 2.3% of GDP#84 of 184 · 2025 |
| ExportsLesotho: 17.7 points higher | 49.5% of GDP#47 of 168 · 2025 | 31.8% of GDP#95 of 168 · 2025 |
| Military spendingLesotho: 2.91× the military spending | 1.6% of GDP#80 of 155 · 2025 | 0.6% of GDP#139 of 155 · 2025 |
| Internet usersMoldova: 1.49× the share online | 52%#143 of 184 · 2024 | 77%#102 of 184 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptionsMoldova: 1.71× the mobile subscriptions | 70 per 100#161 of 191 · 2024 | 120 per 100#82 of 191 · 2024 |
| Energy & environment | ||
| Forest areaMoldova: 10.3× the forest share | 1% of land#178 of 192 · 2024 | 11% of land#151 of 192 · 2024 |
| CO₂ per personMoldova: 7.95× the CO₂ per person | 0.43 t a year#153 of 185 · 2024 | 3.42 t a year#77 of 185 · 2024 |
| Renewable energyLesotho: 13.5 points higher | 34.9%#69 of 190 · 2022 | 21.4%#102 of 190 · 2021 |
| Access to electricityMoldova: 39.4 points higher | 60.6%#164 of 192 · 2024 | 100.0%#1 of 192 · 2024 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5)Lesotho: 1.77× the air pollution | 26.4 µg/m³#58 of 191 · 2023 | 14.9 µg/m³#119 of 191 · 2023 |
| Protected landLesotho: 11.9 points higher | 23.4% of land#56 of 191 · 2025 | 11.5% of land#138 of 191 · 2025 |
| Arable landMoldova: 37.4 points higher | 19.0% of land#57 of 190 · 2024 | 56.4% of land#4 of 190 · 2024 |
| Water stressMoldova: 4.85× the water stress | 2.6%#141 of 176 · 2022 | 12.6%#81 of 176 · 2022 |
| PrecipitationLesotho: 1.75× the rain and snow | 788 mm#106 of 180 · 2022 | 450 mm#146 of 180 · 2022 |
| Governance & safety | ||
| Political stabilityLesotho: 0.10 higher | −0.01#105 of 193 · 2025 | −0.11#112 of 193 · 2025 |
| Control of corruptionMoldova: 0.02 higher | −0.27#97 of 193 · 2025 | −0.25#95 of 193 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate | — | 2.5 per 100,000#68 of 146 · 2023 |
| State | ||
| Status | Independent state | Independent state |
| Government | Constitutional monarchyparliamentary constitutional monarchy | Parliamentary republic |
| Capital | Maseru | Chisinau |
| Currency | South African rand (ZAR), Loti (LSL) | Moldovan leu (MDL) |
| Official languages | English, Sesotho | Romanian |
| Traffic drives | On the left | On the right |
| Time zone | UTC+2 | UTC+2, summer time UTC+3 |
| Calling code | +266 | +373 |
| Region | Southern Africa, Africa | Eastern Europe, Europe |
Area: Wikidata. Population, income, health, economy, environment and governance: World Bank. Human Development Index: UNDP. Government: CIA World Factbook. Ranks among the 194 independent states. All sources
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Lesotho sits at about 30° S and is stretched to 1.32× its true area; Moldova at 47° N is stretched to 2.17×. That difference is why Moldova looks so much bigger than it is next to Lesotho. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Questions about this pair
- Is Lesotho bigger than Moldova?
- No. Lesotho is 10% smaller than Moldova. Lesotho covers 30,355 km² and Moldova covers 33,844 km².
- How many times does Lesotho fit into Moldova?
- About 1.1 times: Moldova has 1.11× the area of Lesotho.
- Why do Lesotho and Moldova look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Lesotho is drawn about 1.32× its true area there and Moldova about 2.17×. That is why Moldova looks so much bigger than it really is next to Lesotho. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
- Which has more people, Lesotho or Moldova?
- Lesotho: 2,363,325 people against 2,360,527. Density: Lesotho 78 per km², Moldova 70 per km².
- Which is richer, Lesotho or Moldova?
- By gross national income per person, Moldova: $8,050 against $1,280 (World Bank, Atlas method, 2025) — 6.29× as much.
- Where do people live longer, Lesotho or Moldova?
- In Moldova: life expectancy at birth is 71.3 years, against 57.8 — 13.5 years longer (World Bank, 2024).
- What kind of government do Lesotho and Moldova have?
- By constitution, as the CIA World Factbook describes them — Lesotho: constitutional monarchy; Moldova: parliamentary republic.