Neonatal mortality rate in Lesotho
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
70
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.
Neonatal mortality rate in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Deaths per 1000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 6.54 Deaths per 1000 live births | — |
| 1955 | 6.46 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.3% |
| 1956 | 6.39 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.1% |
| 1957 | 6.34 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.8% |
| 1958 | 6.31 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1959 | 6.29 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.3% |
| 1960 | 6.29 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.1% |
| 1961 | 6.32 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 6.36 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 6.41 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 6.43 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 6.45 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 6.45 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 6.42 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 6.37 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.8% |
| 1969 | 6.28 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 6.17 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.7% |
| 1971 | 6.06 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 5.94 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.0% |
| 1973 | 5.79 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 5.63 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 5.43 Deaths per 1000 live births | -3.4% |
| 1976 | 5.24 Deaths per 1000 live births | -3.6% |
| 1977 | 5.02 Deaths per 1000 live births | -4.1% |
| 1978 | 4.81 Deaths per 1000 live births | -4.3% |
| 1979 | 4.6 Deaths per 1000 live births | -4.4% |
| 1980 | 4.4 Deaths per 1000 live births | -4.3% |
| 1981 | 4.25 Deaths per 1000 live births | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 4.13 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 4.03 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.3% |
| 1984 | 3.97 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 3.91 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 3.88 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 3.86 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 3.86 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 3.86 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 3.87 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 3.87 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 3.85 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 3.84 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 3.82 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 3.8 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 3.77 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 3.73 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 3.7 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 3.7 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 3.72 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 3.77 Deaths per 1000 live births | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 3.81 Deaths per 1000 live births | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 3.85 Deaths per 1000 live births | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 3.88 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 3.89 Deaths per 1000 live births | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 3.89 Deaths per 1000 live births | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 3.85 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 3.8 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 3.73 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 3.67 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 3.61 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 3.56 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 3.52 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 3.47 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 3.42 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 3.35 Deaths per 1000 live births | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 3.28 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 3.21 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 3.14 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 3.07 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 3 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 2.94 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births | -2.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.06 Deaths per 1000 live births, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 2.87 Deaths per 1000 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.4 Deaths per 1000 live births, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
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
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 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
The share of newborns who die before reaching 28 days of age.