Life expectancy at birth in Lesotho
Lesotho: Life expectancy at birth was 57.38 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
57.38 years
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
234th
of 236 countries
All-time high
59.57 years
in 1988
All-time low
43.18 years
in 2006
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy at birth in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 57.38 years for life expectancy at birth in 2023.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Lesotho peaked at 59.57 years in 1988 and was at its lowest, 43.18 years, in 2006.
Lesotho ranks 234th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 47.49 years | 44.63 years | 49.92 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 50.44 years | 50.17 years | 51.12 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 53.41 years | 51.5 years | 55.84 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.65 years | 56.53 years | 59.57 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 56 years | 50.38 years | 59.32 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.07 years | 43.18 years | 48.78 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 51 years | 46.05 years | 55.25 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.88 years | 54.21 years | 57.38 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 231 Somalia 58.82 years compare
- 232 South Sudan 57.62 years compare
- 233 Central African Republic 57.41 years compare
- 235 Chad 55.07 years compare
- 236 Nigeria 54.46 years compare
More health data for Lesotho
- 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)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 20,203 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 20,491 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 20,958 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 21,166 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 22,125 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 22,257 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Lesotho?
- Life expectancy at birth in Lesotho was 57.38 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 59.57 years in 1988.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.18 years in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Lesotho ranks 234th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy at birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.