Qacha's Nek: population, jobs, schools, health, water and sanitation, poverty and crime

Qacha's Nek is a district of Lesotho, number 10 of 10 by population. The Lesotho Bureau of Statistics projects the population of Qacha's Nek district at 79,494 for 2026, 3.7% of Lesotho's 2.14 million; the smallest of the 10 districts. The projection starts from the 2016 census count of 74,566, a rise of 6.6% (Lesotho: 6.7% more). A new census was taken in April 2026; until its results are published, these are the official figures.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Qacha's Nek: About 26% of the labour force in Qacha's Nek was unemployed in the 2024 Labour Force Survey (about 5,900 people out of a labour force of 22,634), 3rd lowest of the 10 districts (Lesotho: 30.1%). The district rate is worked out from the survey's district tables.
• Health in Qacha's Nek: 47.9% of children under five in Qacha's Nek were stunted (too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition) in 2023-24 and 0.0% were wasted; the stunting rate is the highest of the 10 districts (Lesotho: 35.6%).
• Education in Qacha's Nek: Registered primary schools in Qacha's Nek had 27.8 pupils per teacher in 2023 (11,917 pupils, 428 teachers), the lowest of the 10 districts (Lesotho: 31.1).
• Poverty and living standards in Qacha's Nek: 39.2% of people in Qacha's Nek lived in households in the poorest fifth nationally by household wealth (assets and housing) in 2023-24, and 8.7% in the richest fifth; 3rd highest of the 10 districts for the poorest fifth (Lesotho: 20% in each fifth by definition).

How districts are governed in Lesotho

District councils (10). Made up of representatives sent from the community councils plus two chiefs; chairperson elected indirectly. District planning and coordination of community councils.

Every tier of government in Lesotho

Other districts of Lesotho

• Maseru 614,701
• Leribe 385,322
• Berea 275,004
• Mafeteng 160,440
• Mohale's Hoek 151,396
• Thaba-Tseka 140,553
• Butha-Buthe 126,380
• Quthing 104,804
• Mokhotlong 102,791

Up a level: Lesotho · government and power in Lesotho

Sources

• Lesotho Bureau of Statistics: Lesotho 2021 Multidimensional Child Poverty Report Highlights (Figure 2: child poverty rate by district), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c1ee162b8f9…)
• Lesotho Bureau of Statistics (from Lesotho Mounted Police Service records): Crime Statistics Report 2022 (Tables 2.1 and 2.2: reported serious crime by policing district), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9397635f29e4…)
• Ministry of Health, Lesotho (with ICF, The DHS Program): Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey 2023-24, Final Report (district rows of Tables 2.6, 2.13, 3.3.1, 3.9.1, 5.2, 5.12, 7.3.2, 9.2, 9.7, 10.4, 11.1, 12.5.1, 14.2, 14.7 and 19.1), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d7fd2a0a8ae0…)
• Lesotho Bureau of Statistics: Education Statistics Report 2023 (Tables 3.3, 3.11, 3.24, 4.5 and 4.14 by district), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 10d028910582…)
• Lesotho Bureau of Statistics: 2024 Labour Force Survey Report (Tables 3.7, 4.2, 4.22 and 7.5 by district), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b444d334073b…)
• Lesotho Bureau of Statistics: Lesotho Population Projections Report 2016-2036 (Table 3.1 national projections; Table 5.7 summary district projections, medium variant), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 65e2dd00bbde…)

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