- Access to basic public-service infrastructure is uneven across Lesotho
- A majority of surveyed enumeration areas have access to piped water (73%), schools (72%), the national electricity grid (70%), and roads that are in fair, good, or very good condition (64%). In contrast, sewage systems (15%), police stations (24%), and health-care facilities (35%) remain severely limited.
- All of these types of service infrastructure are less available in rural areas than in cities, often by large margins.
- Two-thirds (67%) of citizens say they had contact with a public health clinic or hospital during the previous year. Far fewer say they tried to obtain a government identity document (29%) and sought assistance from the police (21%).
- Among those who sought these public services, majorities say it was “easy” or “very easy” to obtain medical care (74%) and to get help from the police (60%). But almost two-thirds (64%) found it “difficult” or “very difficult” to obtain an identity document from a government agency.
- More than one in five (22%) of those who attempted to obtain an identity document say they had to pay a bribe. Fewer report having to pay a bribe to obtain police assistance (12%) or medical care (4%).
- Public services make up seven of the top 10 issues that citizens say their government must urgently address, led by infrastructure/roads.
- More than half (55%) of respondents say the government is doing a good job on improving basic health services, but majorities say it is performing “fairly badly” or “very badly” on addressing educational needs (52%), providing a reliable supply of electricity (58%), maintaining roads and bridges (58%), fighting crime (60%), and providing water and sanitation services (65%).
Public services are the main point of contact between government and the people it serves. Citizens interact with public institutions when they obtain identity documents, social benefits, health care, police assistance, and other services. The quality of public services has a profound impact on people’s lives and is often pivotal in ensuring they have access to opportunities to realise their full potential (Jackson, 2020; OECD, 2022, 2024).
Public-service delivery in Lesotho is challenging. The country’s mountainous topography and limited road network make it expensive to deliver basic services (Johnson, Dunn, Bodlani, Hougaard, & Bester, 2021; Pene, 2023). People living in isolated villages often have limited access to health care, education, food, and clean water (Help Lesotho, 2023; World Bank, 2025).
The government’s National Strategic Development Plan, which has been extended through 2028, aims to enhance public-service delivery, focusing on citizen-centric, efficient, and effective delivery through decentralisation and strengthened institutions and procurement processes (Government of Lesotho, 2019; World Bank, 2025).
The government also launched the World Bank-funded Public Sector Foundation Project to improve public-service delivery by reducing resource leaks and enabling online services through ID biometrics. Among other advantages, this is reported to prevent rural residents, particularly women, from having to travel long distances to access public services (World Bank, 2022; Informative, 2024; Maoeng et al., 2024).
Against this background, this dispatch examines citizens’ experiences and perceptions of public-service delivery. Findings from the most recent Afrobarometer survey in Lesotho show that public-service infrastructure remains limited, with many areas lacking access to sewage systems, police stations, and health facilities.
While citizens who sought selected public services during the past year describe health care and police assistance as easy to obtain, a majority say government identity documents were difficult to obtain and in some cases required the payment of a bribe.
More than half of Basotho praise the government’s efforts to improve basic health services, but majorities express dissatisfaction with the government’s provision of other public services.
