Child mortality by sex in Lesotho
Lesotho: Child mortality by sex was 6.61 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
6.61 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
21st
of 199 countries
All-time high
24.31 deaths per 100 live births
in 1952
All-time low
6.61 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
73
1952–2024
Child mortality by sex in Lesotho, 1952–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for child mortality by sex in Lesotho is 6.61 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 73 years on record.
The figure is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality by sex in Lesotho peaked at 24.31 deaths per 100 live births in 1952 and was at its lowest, 6.61 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
Lesotho ranks 21st of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 73 years of available data.
Child mortality by sex in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 24.31 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1953 | 23.42 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 1954 | 22.6 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1955 | 21.81 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1956 | 21.09 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1957 | 20.46 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1958 | 19.96 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1959 | 19.59 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1960 | 19.37 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1961 | 19.27 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1962 | 19.25 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 19.33 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 19.39 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 19.43 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 19.4 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 19.25 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 19.01 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 18.68 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 18.31 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 17.92 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 17.51 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 17.08 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 16.6 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 16.06 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1976 | 15.45 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1977 | 14.82 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 1978 | 14.19 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1979 | 13.56 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 1980 | 12.93 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1981 | 12.33 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1982 | 11.77 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1983 | 11.26 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 1984 | 10.79 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 1985 | 10.38 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 1986 | 10.02 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 9.71 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 9.45 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 9.27 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 9.16 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 9.15 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 9.26 deaths per 100 live births | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 9.49 deaths per 100 live births | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 9.84 deaths per 100 live births | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 10.24 deaths per 100 live births | +4.1% |
| 1996 | 10.63 deaths per 100 live births | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 10.95 deaths per 100 live births | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 11.18 deaths per 100 live births | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 11.4 deaths per 100 live births | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 11.6 deaths per 100 live births | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 11.82 deaths per 100 live births | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 12.01 deaths per 100 live births | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 12.13 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 12.2 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 12.29 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 12.3 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 12.02 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 12.02 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10.72 deaths per 100 live births | -10.8% |
| 2010 | 9.87 deaths per 100 live births | -7.9% |
| 2011 | 9.28 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 2012 | 8.88 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 8.67 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 8.5 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 8.23 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 7.83 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 7.69 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 7.56 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 7.48 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 7.28 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 7.03 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 6.83 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 6.75 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 6.61 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 6.61 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.05 deaths per 100 live births, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 6.61 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.38 deaths per 100 live births, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 21.65 deaths per 100 live births | 19.59 deaths per 100 live births | 24.31 deaths per 100 live births | 8 |
| 1960s | 19.24 deaths per 100 live births | 18.68 deaths per 100 live births | 19.43 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.15 deaths per 100 live births | 13.56 deaths per 100 live births | 18.31 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.79 deaths per 100 live births | 9.27 deaths per 100 live births | 12.93 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.13 deaths per 100 live births | 9.15 deaths per 100 live births | 11.4 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.91 deaths per 100 live births | 10.72 deaths per 100 live births | 12.3 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.4 deaths per 100 live births | 7.48 deaths per 100 live births | 9.87 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.9 deaths per 100 live births | 6.61 deaths per 100 live births | 7.28 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 18 Cameroon 6.99 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 19 Madagascar 6.74 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 20 Sudan 6.64 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 22 Mozambique 6.36 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 23 Pakistan 6.08 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 24 Togo 6.04 deaths per 100 live births 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 by sex in Lesotho?
- Child mortality by sex in Lesotho was 6.61 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality by sex recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 24.31 deaths per 100 live births in 1952.
- What is the lowest child mortality by sex recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.61 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for child mortality by sex?
- Lesotho ranks 21st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality by sex rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of deaths of male children aged under five years, per 100 live births .