Infant mortality rate by sex in Lesotho
Lesotho: Infant mortality rate by sex was 5.03 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
5.03 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
11th
of 199 countries
All-time high
14.93 deaths per 100 live births
in 1952
All-time low
5.03 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
73
1952–2024
Infant mortality rate 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
In 2024, infant mortality rate by sex in Lesotho stood at 5.03 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 73 years on record.
The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate by sex in Lesotho peaked at 14.93 deaths per 100 live births in 1952 and was at its lowest, 5.03 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Lesotho 11th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 73 years of available data.
Infant mortality rate by sex in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 14.93 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1953 | 14.57 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1954 | 14.19 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1955 | 13.84 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1956 | 13.54 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1957 | 13.29 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1958 | 13.1 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1959 | 13 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1960 | 12.98 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1961 | 13.04 deaths per 100 live births | +0.5% |
| 1962 | 13.18 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 13.35 deaths per 100 live births | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 13.54 deaths per 100 live births | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 13.68 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 13.78 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 13.79 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 13.73 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 13.6 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 13.41 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1971 | 13.19 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 12.96 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 12.73 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 12.43 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 12.08 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1976 | 11.67 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1977 | 11.23 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1978 | 10.8 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 1979 | 10.33 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1980 | 9.87 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1981 | 9.42 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1982 | 9 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1983 | 8.62 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1984 | 8.26 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1985 | 7.95 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1986 | 7.67 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 7.42 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1988 | 7.22 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 7.04 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1990 | 6.9 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 6.8 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 6.77 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 6.77 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 6.79 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 6.8 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 6.78 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 6.74 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 6.68 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 6.68 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 6.71 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 6.78 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 6.85 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 6.91 deaths per 100 live births | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 6.97 deaths per 100 live births | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 7.07 deaths per 100 live births | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 7.14 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 7.08 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 7.55 deaths per 100 live births | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 6.96 deaths per 100 live births | -7.8% |
| 2010 | 6.59 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 2011 | 6.35 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 6.36 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 6.41 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 6.3 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 6.19 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 6.12 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 6.1 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 5.84 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 5.68 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 5.56 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 5.45 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 5.35 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 5.2 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 5.03 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 5.03 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.51 deaths per 100 live births, 2.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 5.03 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.31 deaths per 100 live births, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 13.81 deaths per 100 live births | 13 deaths per 100 live births | 14.93 deaths per 100 live births | 8 |
| 1960s | 13.47 deaths per 100 live births | 12.98 deaths per 100 live births | 13.79 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 12.08 deaths per 100 live births | 10.33 deaths per 100 live births | 13.41 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.25 deaths per 100 live births | 7.04 deaths per 100 live births | 9.87 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.77 deaths per 100 live births | 6.68 deaths per 100 live births | 6.9 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 7 deaths per 100 live births | 6.71 deaths per 100 live births | 7.55 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.19 deaths per 100 live births | 5.68 deaths per 100 live births | 6.59 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.32 deaths per 100 live births | 5.03 deaths per 100 live births | 5.56 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 8 Central African Republic 5.23 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 9 Chad 5.04 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 10 Democratic Republic of Congo 5.03 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 12 Sierra Leone 4.93 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 13 Afghanistan 4.45 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 14 Mali 4.33 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 infant mortality rate by sex in Lesotho?
- Infant mortality rate by sex in Lesotho was 5.03 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 infant mortality rate by sex recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 14.93 deaths per 100 live births in 1952.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate by sex recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.03 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for infant mortality rate by sex?
- Lesotho ranks 11th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate by sex rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. 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 Infant mortality rate 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 female children aged under one year, per 100 live births .