What is neonatal mortality rate in Lesotho?

Neonatal mortality rate in Lesotho was 2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Lesotho?

The highest recorded value was 6.54 Deaths per 1000 live births in 1954.

What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Lesotho?

The lowest recorded value was 2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023.

How does Lesotho rank for neonatal mortality rate?

Lesotho ranks 15th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.

Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Lesotho?

Over the last ten years it is down 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this Lesotho data come from?

The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Neonatal mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Neonatal mortality rate in Lesotho

Name: Neonatal mortality rate in Lesotho
Creator: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Lesotho: Neonatal mortality rate was 2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)

2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births

Change on year

down 2.2%

World rank

15th

of 199 countries

All-time high

6.54 Deaths per 1000 live births

in 1954

All-time low

2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births

in 2023

Years of data

1954–2023

Neonatal mortality rate in Lesotho, 1954–2023

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Deaths per 1000 live births.

Analysis

Lesotho recorded 2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births for neonatal mortality rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 70 years on record.

The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 18.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Lesotho peaked at 6.54 Deaths per 1000 live births in 1954 and was at its lowest, 2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births, in 2023.

Lesotho ranks 15th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 70 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	6.39 Deaths per 1000 live births	6.29 Deaths per 1000 live births	6.54 Deaths per 1000 live births	6
1960s	6.38 Deaths per 1000 live births	6.28 Deaths per 1000 live births	6.45 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
1970s	5.47 Deaths per 1000 live births	4.6 Deaths per 1000 live births	6.17 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
1980s	4.01 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.86 Deaths per 1000 live births	4.4 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
1990s	3.79 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.7 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.87 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
2000s	3.82 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.72 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.89 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
2010s	3.42 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.14 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.67 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
2020s	2.97 Deaths per 1000 live births	2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.07 Deaths per 1000 live births	4

Countries ranked near Lesotho

12 Guinea 3.03 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
13 Liberia 2.96 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
14 Sierra Leone 2.93 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
16 Cote d'Ivoire 2.82 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
17 Djibouti 2.82 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
18 Benin 2.8 Deaths per 1000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

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)

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is neonatal mortality rate in Lesotho?: Neonatal mortality rate in Lesotho was 2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Lesotho?: The highest recorded value was 6.54 Deaths per 1000 live births in 1954.
What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Lesotho?: The lowest recorded value was 2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023.
How does Lesotho rank for neonatal mortality rate?: Lesotho ranks 15th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Lesotho?: Over the last ten years it is down 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?: The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Neonatal mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 70 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Neonatal mortality rate
Unit: Deaths per 1000 live births
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 199 places, 10,174 data points, 1951–2023
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The share of newborns who die before reaching 28 days of age.