Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) was 60 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
60 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
21st
of 197 countries
All-time high
186.2 per 1,000 live births
in 1965
All-time low
60 per 1,000 live births
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Mortality rate, under-5 in Lesotho, 1960–2024
Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in per 1,000 live births.
Analysis
In 2024, mortality rate, under-5 in Lesotho stood at 60 per 1,000 live births. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, under-5 in Lesotho peaked at 186.2 per 1,000 live births in 1965 and was at its lowest, 60 per 1,000 live births, in 2024.
Lesotho ranks 21st of 197 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 185.3 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1961 | 184.3 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1962 | 184.4 per 1,000 live births | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 185.1 per 1,000 live births | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 185.9 per 1,000 live births | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 186.2 per 1,000 live births | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 185.8 per 1,000 live births | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 184.5 per 1,000 live births | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 182.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 1969 | 179.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 175.5 per 1,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 171.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 167.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 163.3 per 1,000 live births | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 158.7 per 1,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 153.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 1976 | 147.4 per 1,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 1977 | 141.1 per 1,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 1978 | 134.8 per 1,000 live births | -4.5% |
| 1979 | 128.6 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 1980 | 122.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.8% |
| 1981 | 116.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 1982 | 110.7 per 1,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 1983 | 105.7 per 1,000 live births | -4.5% |
| 1984 | 101.1 per 1,000 live births | -4.4% |
| 1985 | 96.9 per 1,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 1986 | 93.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 1987 | 90.2 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 87.7 per 1,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 85.7 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 84.5 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 84.4 per 1,000 live births | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 85.4 per 1,000 live births | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 87.6 per 1,000 live births | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 91.1 per 1,000 live births | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 95.1 per 1,000 live births | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 98.9 per 1,000 live births | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 102.1 per 1,000 live births | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 104.2 per 1,000 live births | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 106.3 per 1,000 live births | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 108.3 per 1,000 live births | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 110.3 per 1,000 live births | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 112.1 per 1,000 live births | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 113.2 per 1,000 live births | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 113.9 per 1,000 live births | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 114.6 per 1,000 live births | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 114.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 111.9 per 1,000 live births | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 111.6 per 1,000 live births | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 99.1 per 1,000 live births | -11.2% |
| 2010 | 90.9 per 1,000 live births | -8.3% |
| 2011 | 85.2 per 1,000 live births | -6.3% |
| 2012 | 81.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 79.3 per 1,000 live births | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 77.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 75.1 per 1,000 live births | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 71.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 70.1 per 1,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 68.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 68.1 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 66.3 per 1,000 live births | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 64 per 1,000 live births | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 62 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 61.3 per 1,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 60 per 1,000 live births | -2.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 60 per 1,000 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 36.9 per 1,000 live births, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 60 per 1,000 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 48.9 per 1,000 live births, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 184.29 per 1,000 live births | 179.2 per 1,000 live births | 186.2 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 154.19 per 1,000 live births | 128.6 per 1,000 live births | 175.5 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 101.01 per 1,000 live births | 85.7 per 1,000 live births | 122.4 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 93.96 per 1,000 live births | 84.4 per 1,000 live births | 106.3 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 110.97 per 1,000 live births | 99.1 per 1,000 live births | 114.7 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 76.79 per 1,000 live births | 68.1 per 1,000 live births | 90.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.72 per 1,000 live births | 60 per 1,000 live births | 66.3 per 1,000 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 18 Cote d'Ivoire 64.5 per 1,000 live births compare
- 19 Madagascar 62.4 per 1,000 live births compare
- 20 Sudan 61.6 per 1,000 live births compare
- 22 Mozambique 59.4 per 1,000 live births compare
- 23 Togo 56.1 per 1,000 live births compare
- 24 Pakistan 56 per 1,000 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 382 (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)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0557 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mortality rate, under-5 in Lesotho?
- Mortality rate, under-5 in Lesotho was 60 per 1,000 live births in 2024, according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest mortality rate, under-5 recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 186.2 per 1,000 live births in 1965.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, under-5 recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 60 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for mortality rate, under-5?
- Lesotho ranks 21st out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, under-5 rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.