Child mortality rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Child mortality rate was 6 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
6 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
21st
of 199 countries
All-time high
23.26 deaths per 100 live births
in 1952
All-time low
6 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
73
1952–2024
Child mortality rate in Lesotho, 1952–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for child mortality rate in Lesotho is 6 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 73 years on record.
The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Lesotho peaked at 23.26 deaths per 100 live births in 1952 and was at its lowest, 6 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Lesotho 21st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 73 years of available data.
Child mortality rate in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 23.26 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1953 | 22.42 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 1954 | 21.62 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1955 | 20.86 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 1956 | 20.13 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1957 | 19.55 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1958 | 19.08 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1959 | 18.75 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1960 | 18.53 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1961 | 18.43 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1962 | 18.44 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 18.51 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 18.59 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 18.62 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 18.58 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 18.45 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 18.22 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1969 | 17.92 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 17.55 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 17.16 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 16.76 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 16.33 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 15.87 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 15.33 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1976 | 14.74 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 1977 | 14.11 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1978 | 13.48 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 1979 | 12.86 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1980 | 12.24 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 1981 | 11.64 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 1982 | 11.07 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 1983 | 10.57 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1984 | 10.11 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1985 | 9.69 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1986 | 9.33 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 1987 | 9.02 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 8.77 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 8.57 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 8.45 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 8.44 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 8.54 deaths per 100 live births | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 8.76 deaths per 100 live births | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 9.11 deaths per 100 live births | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 9.51 deaths per 100 live births | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 9.89 deaths per 100 live births | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 10.21 deaths per 100 live births | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 10.42 deaths per 100 live births | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 10.63 deaths per 100 live births | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 10.83 deaths per 100 live births | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 11.03 deaths per 100 live births | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 11.21 deaths per 100 live births | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 11.32 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 11.39 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 11.46 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 11.47 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 11.19 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 11.16 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 9.91 deaths per 100 live births | -11.2% |
| 2010 | 9.09 deaths per 100 live births | -8.3% |
| 2011 | 8.52 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 8.14 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 7.93 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 7.76 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 7.51 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 7.14 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 7.01 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 6.88 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 6.81 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 6.63 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 6.4 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 6.2 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 6.13 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 6 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 6 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.69 deaths per 100 live births, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 6 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.89 deaths per 100 live births, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 20.71 deaths per 100 live births | 18.75 deaths per 100 live births | 23.26 deaths per 100 live births | 8 |
| 1960s | 18.43 deaths per 100 live births | 17.92 deaths per 100 live births | 18.62 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.42 deaths per 100 live births | 12.86 deaths per 100 live births | 17.55 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.1 deaths per 100 live births | 8.57 deaths per 100 live births | 12.24 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.4 deaths per 100 live births | 8.44 deaths per 100 live births | 10.63 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.1 deaths per 100 live births | 9.91 deaths per 100 live births | 11.47 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.68 deaths per 100 live births | 6.81 deaths per 100 live births | 9.09 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.27 deaths per 100 live births | 6 deaths per 100 live births | 6.63 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 18 Cote d'Ivoire 6.45 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 19 Madagascar 6.24 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 20 Sudan 6.16 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 22 Mozambique 5.94 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 23 Togo 5.61 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 24 Pakistan 5.6 deaths per 100 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 child mortality rate in Lesotho?
- Child mortality rate in Lesotho was 6 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 23.26 deaths per 100 live births in 1952.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 6 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for child mortality rate?
- Lesotho ranks 21st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate 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 United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged under five years, per 100 live births .