Births and deaths per year in Lesotho
Lesotho: Births and deaths per year was 24,612 deaths in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
24,612 deaths
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
135th
of 236 countries
All-time high
40,446 deaths
in 2006
All-time low
12,574 deaths
in 1957
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Births and deaths per year in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 24,612 deaths for births and deaths per year in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, births and deaths per year in Lesotho peaked at 40,446 deaths in 2006 and was at its lowest, 12,574 deaths, in 1957.
Lesotho ranks 135th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Births and deaths per year in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 14,078 deaths | — |
| 1951 | 13,603 deaths | -3.4% |
| 1952 | 13,340 deaths | -1.9% |
| 1953 | 13,131 deaths | -1.6% |
| 1954 | 12,943 deaths | -1.4% |
| 1955 | 12,796 deaths | -1.1% |
| 1956 | 12,658 deaths | -1.1% |
| 1957 | 12,574 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1958 | 12,606 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 12,698 deaths | +0.7% |
| 1960 | 12,845 deaths | +1.2% |
| 1961 | 13,069 deaths | +1.7% |
| 1962 | 13,338 deaths | +2.1% |
| 1963 | 13,651 deaths | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 13,931 deaths | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 14,261 deaths | +2.4% |
| 1966 | 14,565 deaths | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 14,974 deaths | +2.8% |
| 1968 | 15,216 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 15,434 deaths | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 15,642 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 15,891 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 16,123 deaths | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 16,384 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 16,739 deaths | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 16,991 deaths | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 17,266 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 17,357 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 17,355 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 17,288 deaths | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 17,186 deaths | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 17,003 deaths | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 16,889 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 16,868 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 16,880 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 17,043 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 17,296 deaths | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 17,579 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 17,855 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 18,139 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 18,515 deaths | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 18,966 deaths | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 19,555 deaths | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 20,260 deaths | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 21,157 deaths | +4.4% |
| 1995 | 22,274 deaths | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 23,759 deaths | +6.7% |
| 1997 | 25,450 deaths | +7.1% |
| 1998 | 27,520 deaths | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 29,612 deaths | +7.6% |
| 2000 | 31,819 deaths | +7.5% |
| 2001 | 34,270 deaths | +7.7% |
| 2002 | 36,303 deaths | +5.9% |
| 2003 | 38,021 deaths | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 39,368 deaths | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 39,948 deaths | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 40,446 deaths | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 39,825 deaths | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 38,949 deaths | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 37,813 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 36,340 deaths | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 35,200 deaths | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 33,493 deaths | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 31,880 deaths | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 30,445 deaths | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 29,318 deaths | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 28,250 deaths | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 27,325 deaths | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 26,636 deaths | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 26,137 deaths | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 26,572 deaths | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 28,493 deaths | +7.2% |
| 2022 | 24,959 deaths | -12.4% |
| 2023 | 24,612 deaths | -1.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 24,612 deaths is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 87,810 deaths, 28% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 24,612 deaths is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 109,128 deaths, 23% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 13,043 deaths | 12,574 deaths | 14,078 deaths | 10 |
| 1960s | 14,128 deaths | 12,845 deaths | 15,434 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 16,704 deaths | 15,642 deaths | 17,357 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 17,274 deaths | 16,868 deaths | 18,139 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 22,707 deaths | 18,515 deaths | 29,612 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 37,676 deaths | 31,819 deaths | 40,446 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 30,502 deaths | 26,137 deaths | 36,340 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 26,159 deaths | 24,612 deaths | 28,493 deaths | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More health data for Lesotho
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.05 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4669 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 382 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2020)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.8108 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0548 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.7473 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0557 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is births and deaths per year in Lesotho?
- Births and deaths per year in Lesotho was 24,612 deaths in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest births and deaths per year recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 40,446 deaths in 2006.
- What is the lowest births and deaths per year recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,574 deaths in 1957.
- How does Lesotho rank for births and deaths per year?
- Lesotho ranks 135th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is births and deaths per year rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Births and deaths per year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of deaths in a calendar year.