Fertility rate, total in Lesotho
Lesotho: Fertility rate, total was 2.66 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.66 births per woman
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
68th
of 217 countries
All-time high
5.87 births per woman
in 1976
All-time low
2.66 births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility rate, total in Lesotho, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility rate, total in Lesotho is 2.66 births per woman, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Lesotho peaked at 5.87 births per woman in 1976 and was at its lowest, 2.66 births per woman, in 2024.
That places Lesotho 68th out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.78 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 5.79 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 5.79 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 5.78 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 5.76 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 5.77 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 5.76 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 5.75 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 5.72 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 5.7 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 5.7 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 5.7 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 5.69 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 5.69 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 5.75 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 5.83 births per woman | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 5.87 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 5.85 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 5.82 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 5.79 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 5.75 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 5.69 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 5.63 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 5.56 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 5.48 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 5.4 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 5.32 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 5.22 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 5.1 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 4.96 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 4.81 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 4.68 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 4.54 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1993 | 4.37 births per woman | -3.9% |
| 1994 | 4.21 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 4.12 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 4.06 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 3.98 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 3.81 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 3.67 births per woman | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 3.6 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 3.63 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 3.68 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 3.62 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 3.51 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 3.43 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 3.41 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 3.44 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 3.39 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 3.31 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 3.25 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 3.34 births per woman | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 3.3 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 3.28 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 3.24 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 3.22 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 3.18 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 3.1 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 3.02 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 2.92 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 2.85 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 2.77 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 2.72 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 2.69 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 2.66 births per woman | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.76 births per woman | 5.7 births per woman | 5.79 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.77 births per woman | 5.69 births per woman | 5.87 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.41 births per woman | 4.96 births per woman | 5.75 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.23 births per woman | 3.67 births per woman | 4.81 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.5 births per woman | 3.31 births per woman | 3.68 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.19 births per woman | 2.92 births per woman | 3.34 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.74 births per woman | 2.66 births per woman | 2.85 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 65 Botswana 2.7 births per woman compare
- 66 Syrian Arab Republic 2.7 births per woman compare
- 67 Saint Martin (French part) 2.67 births per woman compare
- 69 Turkmenistan 2.66 births per woman compare
- 70 Timor-Leste 2.63 births per woman compare
- 71 Haiti 2.62 births per woman 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)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,227 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 382 (2100)
- Population ages 15-64, male, annual growth rate 1.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per capita 0.3023 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per capita 0.6202 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Lesotho?
- Fertility rate, total in Lesotho was 2.66 births per woman in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 5.87 births per woman in 1976.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.66 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for fertility rate, total?
- Lesotho ranks 68th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.