Substance use disorder deaths in Lesotho
Lesotho: Substance use disorder deaths was 17.76 deaths in 2021. ▲ Rising
Substance use disorder deaths in Lesotho, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2021, substance use disorder deaths in Lesotho stood at 17.76 deaths.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.9% on the previous year and up 35.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, substance use disorder deaths in Lesotho peaked at 19.28 deaths in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.87 deaths, in 2001.
That places Lesotho 114th out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Substance use disorder deaths in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.96 deaths | — |
| 2001 | 4.87 deaths | -18.3% |
| 2002 | 5.42 deaths | +11.3% |
| 2003 | 6.39 deaths | +17.9% |
| 2004 | 6.35 deaths | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 7.4 deaths | +16.5% |
| 2006 | 9.97 deaths | +34.7% |
| 2007 | 10.92 deaths | +9.5% |
| 2008 | 9.16 deaths | -16.1% |
| 2009 | 8.86 deaths | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 12.27 deaths | +38.5% |
| 2011 | 13.12 deaths | +6.9% |
| 2012 | 11.37 deaths | -13.3% |
| 2013 | 12.81 deaths | +12.7% |
| 2014 | 15.04 deaths | +17.4% |
| 2015 | 15.56 deaths | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 15.36 deaths | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 15.07 deaths | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 16.34 deaths | +8.4% |
| 2019 | 17.09 deaths | +4.6% |
| 2020 | 19.28 deaths | +12.8% |
| 2021 | 17.76 deaths | -7.9% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 17.76 deaths is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17.97 deaths, 99% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 17.76 deaths is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.8 deaths, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.53 deaths | 4.87 deaths | 10.92 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.4 deaths | 11.37 deaths | 17.09 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.52 deaths | 17.76 deaths | 19.28 deaths | 2 |
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)
- 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 substance use disorder deaths in Lesotho?
- Substance use disorder deaths in Lesotho was 17.76 deaths in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest substance use disorder deaths recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 19.28 deaths in 2020.
- What is the lowest substance use disorder deaths recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.87 deaths in 2001.
- How does Lesotho rank for substance use disorder deaths?
- Lesotho ranks 114th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is substance use disorder deaths rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Substance use disorder deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of deaths from drug use disorders in both sexes.