Maternal mortality ratio in Lesotho
Lesotho: Maternal mortality ratio was 566.21 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▲ Rising
Maternal mortality ratio in Lesotho, 1985–2020
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 live births.
Analysis
In 2020, maternal mortality ratio in Lesotho stood at 566.21 deaths per 100,000 live births.
The figure is down 10.0% on the previous year and down 45.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Lesotho peaked at 1,096 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2009 and was at its lowest, 462.93 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 1996.
That places Lesotho 9th out of 185 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 555.11 deaths per 100,000 live births | 550.54 deaths per 100,000 live births | 565.27 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 510.14 deaths per 100,000 live births | 462.93 deaths per 100,000 live births | 579.8 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 674.14 deaths per 100,000 live births | 544.62 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,096 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 792.29 deaths per 100,000 live births | 598.64 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,040 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 566.21 deaths per 100,000 live births | 566.21 deaths per 100,000 live births | 566.21 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 6 Liberia 652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 7 Somalia 620.68 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 8 Afghanistan 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 10 Guinea 553.4 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 11 Democratic Republic of Congo 547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 12 Kenya 529.96 deaths per 100,000 live births 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 maternal mortality ratio in Lesotho?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Lesotho was 566.21 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 1,096 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2009.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 462.93 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1996.
- How does Lesotho rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Lesotho ranks 9th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.6%. 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 Maternal mortality ratio. 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
The estimated maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.