Number of maternal deaths in Lesotho
Lesotho: Number of maternal deaths was 334.06 deaths in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
334.06 deaths
Change on year
down 11.5%
World rank
64th
of 185 countries
All-time high
635.77 deaths
in 2009
All-time low
277.86 deaths
in 1994
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Number of maternal deaths in Lesotho, 1985–2020
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2020, number of maternal deaths in Lesotho stood at 334.06 deaths.
The figure is down 11.5% on the previous year and down 44.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in Lesotho peaked at 635.77 deaths in 2009 and was at its lowest, 277.86 deaths, in 1994.
Lesotho ranks 64th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Number of maternal deaths in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 339.16 deaths | — |
| 1986 | 335.83 deaths | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 348.48 deaths | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 350.15 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 347 deaths | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 349.5 deaths | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 359.48 deaths | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 344.04 deaths | -4.3% |
| 1993 | 339.72 deaths | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 277.86 deaths | -18.2% |
| 1995 | 280.58 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 282.39 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 289.28 deaths | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 283.14 deaths | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 298.73 deaths | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 315.88 deaths | +5.7% |
| 2001 | 339.01 deaths | +7.3% |
| 2002 | 348.2 deaths | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 359.74 deaths | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 321.8 deaths | -10.5% |
| 2005 | 320.85 deaths | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 366.59 deaths | +14.3% |
| 2007 | 414.56 deaths | +13.1% |
| 2008 | 515.51 deaths | +24.4% |
| 2009 | 635.77 deaths | +23.3% |
| 2010 | 603.3 deaths | -5.1% |
| 2011 | 612.41 deaths | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 577.81 deaths | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 508.9 deaths | -11.9% |
| 2014 | 470.36 deaths | -7.6% |
| 2015 | 437.03 deaths | -7.1% |
| 2016 | 400.75 deaths | -8.3% |
| 2017 | 383.84 deaths | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 359.18 deaths | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 377.32 deaths | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 334.06 deaths | -11.5% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 334.06 deaths is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 485.35 deaths, 69% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 334.06 deaths is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,625 deaths, 21% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 344.12 deaths | 335.83 deaths | 350.15 deaths | 5 |
| 1990s | 310.47 deaths | 277.86 deaths | 359.48 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 393.79 deaths | 315.88 deaths | 635.77 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 473.09 deaths | 359.18 deaths | 612.41 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 334.06 deaths | 334.06 deaths | 334.06 deaths | 1 |
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 number of maternal deaths in Lesotho?
- Number of maternal deaths in Lesotho was 334.06 deaths in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 635.77 deaths in 2009.
- What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 277.86 deaths in 1994.
- How does Lesotho rank for number of maternal deaths?
- Lesotho ranks 64th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of maternal deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of maternal deaths in a given year.