Child mortality rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Child mortality rate was 7.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
7.2%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
13th
of 236 countries
All-time high
24.6%
in 1950
All-time low
7.2%
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Child mortality rate in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 7.2% for child mortality rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Lesotho peaked at 24.6% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 7.2%, in 2023.
That places Lesotho 13th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Child mortality rate in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of children | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 24.6% | — |
| 1951 | 23.8% | -3.0% |
| 1952 | 23.1% | -3.0% |
| 1953 | 22.4% | -3.0% |
| 1954 | 21.7% | -3.2% |
| 1955 | 21.0% | -3.0% |
| 1956 | 20.4% | -3.0% |
| 1957 | 19.9% | -2.6% |
| 1958 | 19.4% | -2.3% |
| 1959 | 19.1% | -1.7% |
| 1960 | 18.8% | -1.2% |
| 1961 | 18.7% | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 18.7% | -0.3% |
| 1963 | 18.6% | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 18.6% | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 18.6% | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 18.5% | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 18.4% | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 18.2% | -1.1% |
| 1969 | 17.9% | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 17.6% | -1.8% |
| 1971 | 17.3% | -2.1% |
| 1972 | 16.8% | -2.4% |
| 1973 | 16.4% | -2.7% |
| 1974 | 15.9% | -3.0% |
| 1975 | 15.4% | -3.4% |
| 1976 | 14.8% | -3.7% |
| 1977 | 14.2% | -4.1% |
| 1978 | 13.6% | -4.3% |
| 1979 | 13.0% | -4.6% |
| 1980 | 12.3% | -4.7% |
| 1981 | 11.8% | -4.7% |
| 1982 | 11.2% | -4.7% |
| 1983 | 10.7% | -4.5% |
| 1984 | 10.3% | -4.3% |
| 1985 | 9.8% | -4.0% |
| 1986 | 9.5% | -3.7% |
| 1987 | 9.2% | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 8.9% | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 8.7% | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 8.7% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 8.6% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 8.7% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 8.9% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 9.1% | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 9.5% | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 9.8% | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 10.1% | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 10.4% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 10.7% | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 11.0% | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 11.1% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 11.3% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 11.4% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 11.5% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 11.4% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 11.2% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 10.9% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 10.5% | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 10.0% | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 9.5% | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 9.1% | -4.1% |
| 2012 | 8.8% | -3.9% |
| 2013 | 8.5% | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 8.3% | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 8.1% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 8.0% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 7.8% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 7.8% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 7.7% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 7.6% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 7.4% | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 7.3% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 7.2% | -1.7% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 7.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.9%, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 7.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.0%, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 21.5% | 19.1% | 24.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 18.5% | 17.9% | 18.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.5% | 13.0% | 17.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.2% | 8.7% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.5% | 8.6% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.0% | 10.0% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.3% | 7.7% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.4% | 7.2% | 7.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 10 Benin 7.9% compare
- 11 Burkina Faso 7.7% compare
- 12 Democratic Republic of Congo 7.3% compare
- 14 Liberia 7.1% compare
- 15 Equatorial Guinea 7.1% compare
- 16 Guinea-Bissau 6.9% compare
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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,227 deaths per 1,000 people (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in Lesotho?
- Child mortality rate in Lesotho was 7.2% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 24.6% in 1950.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.2% in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for child mortality rate?
- Lesotho ranks 13th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Child mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children who die before reaching the age of 5.