Difference in male and female life expectancy in Lesotho
Lesotho: Difference in male and female life expectancy was 5.09 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Difference in male and female life expectancy in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, difference in male and female life expectancy in Lesotho stood at 5.09.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, difference in male and female life expectancy in Lesotho peaked at 8.51 in 1986 and was at its lowest, 2.7, in 2006.
That places Lesotho 103rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Difference in male and female life expectancy in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6.45 | — |
| 1951 | 6.11 | -5.2% |
| 1952 | 6.12 | +0.1% |
| 1953 | 6.16 | +0.6% |
| 1954 | 6.24 | +1.3% |
| 1955 | 6.21 | -0.5% |
| 1956 | 6.32 | +1.8% |
| 1957 | 6.34 | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 6.4 | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 6.44 | +0.7% |
| 1960 | 6.58 | +2.1% |
| 1961 | 6.63 | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 6.68 | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 6.66 | -0.4% |
| 1964 | 6.86 | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 6.96 | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 7.47 | +7.4% |
| 1967 | 7.56 | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 7.64 | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 7.59 | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 7.56 | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 7.68 | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 7.58 | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 7.73 | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 7.46 | -3.5% |
| 1975 | 7.57 | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 7.89 | +4.3% |
| 1977 | 8.1 | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 8.27 | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 8.4 | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 8.44 | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 8.25 | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 8.08 | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 8.18 | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 8.13 | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 8.29 | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 8.51 | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 8.4 | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 8.35 | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 8.14 | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 8.01 | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 7.85 | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 7.76 | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 7.61 | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 7.43 | -2.3% |
| 1995 | 6.92 | -6.8% |
| 1996 | 6.48 | -6.4% |
| 1997 | 5.94 | -8.3% |
| 1998 | 5.58 | -6.1% |
| 1999 | 4.77 | -14.6% |
| 2000 | 4.23 | -11.2% |
| 2001 | 4.17 | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 3.81 | -8.7% |
| 2003 | 3.69 | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 4.05 | +9.8% |
| 2005 | 4.06 | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 2.7 | -33.5% |
| 2007 | 4.32 | +60.1% |
| 2008 | 4.09 | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 4.14 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 4.07 | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 4.6 | +13.1% |
| 2012 | 4.55 | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 4.44 | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 4.57 | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 4.67 | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 4.43 | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 4.42 | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 4.48 | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 4.52 | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 4.89 | +8.3% |
| 2021 | 4.9 | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 5.03 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 5.09 | +1.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 5.09 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.19, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 5.09 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.08, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Difference in male and female life expectancy in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +60.1% | 2.7 | 4.32 |
| 2006 | -33.5% | 4.06 | 2.7 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.28 | 6.11 | 6.45 | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.06 | 6.58 | 7.64 | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.82 | 7.46 | 8.4 | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.28 | 8.08 | 8.51 | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.84 | 4.77 | 8.01 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.93 | 2.7 | 4.32 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.47 | 4.07 | 4.67 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.98 | 4.89 | 5.09 | 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 382 (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 difference in male and female life expectancy in Lesotho?
- Difference in male and female life expectancy in Lesotho was 5.09 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest difference in male and female life expectancy recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 8.51 in 1986.
- What is the lowest difference in male and female life expectancy recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7 in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for difference in male and female life expectancy?
- Lesotho ranks 103rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is difference in male and female life expectancy rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Difference in male and female life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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