Youth mortality rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Youth mortality rate was 6.77 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
6.77 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
22nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
20.95 deaths per 100 live births
in 1966
All-time low
6.77 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
59
1966–2024
Youth mortality rate in Lesotho, 1966–2024
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
Lesotho recorded 6.77 deaths per 100 live births for youth mortality rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 59 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth mortality rate in Lesotho peaked at 20.95 deaths per 100 live births in 1966 and was at its lowest, 6.77 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Lesotho 22nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 59 years of available data.
Youth mortality rate in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 20.95 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1967 | 20.76 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1968 | 20.47 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1969 | 20.11 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 19.68 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1971 | 19.23 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 18.78 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 18.29 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 17.77 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 17.19 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1976 | 16.53 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1977 | 15.86 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 1978 | 15.19 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1979 | 14.52 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 1980 | 13.86 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1981 | 13.22 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1982 | 12.62 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1983 | 12.08 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1984 | 11.59 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 1985 | 11.14 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 1986 | 10.75 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 10.41 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1988 | 10.12 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 9.9 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 9.94 deaths per 100 live births | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 9.9 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 9.97 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 10.16 deaths per 100 live births | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 10.47 deaths per 100 live births | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 10.84 deaths per 100 live births | +3.5% |
| 1996 | 11.19 deaths per 100 live births | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 11.48 deaths per 100 live births | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 11.67 deaths per 100 live births | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 11.85 deaths per 100 live births | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 12.03 deaths per 100 live births | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 12.2 deaths per 100 live births | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 12.36 deaths per 100 live births | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 12.45 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 12.49 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 12.54 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 12.53 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 12.23 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 12.19 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 10.93 deaths per 100 live births | -10.3% |
| 2010 | 10.09 deaths per 100 live births | -7.6% |
| 2011 | 9.51 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 9.11 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 8.89 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 8.7 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 8.44 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 8.06 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 7.91 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 7.77 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 7.68 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 7.48 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 7.23 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 7.02 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 6.92 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 6.77 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 6.77 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.47 deaths per 100 live births, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 6.77 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.18 deaths per 100 live births, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20.57 deaths per 100 live births | 20.11 deaths per 100 live births | 20.95 deaths per 100 live births | 4 |
| 1970s | 17.3 deaths per 100 live births | 14.52 deaths per 100 live births | 19.68 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.57 deaths per 100 live births | 9.9 deaths per 100 live births | 13.86 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.75 deaths per 100 live births | 9.9 deaths per 100 live births | 11.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.19 deaths per 100 live births | 10.93 deaths per 100 live births | 12.54 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.62 deaths per 100 live births | 7.68 deaths per 100 live births | 10.09 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.08 deaths per 100 live births | 6.77 deaths per 100 live births | 7.48 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 19 Guinea-Bissau 7.82 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 20 Sudan 7.42 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 21 Zimbabwe 7.34 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 23 Mozambique 6.72 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 24 Togo 6.59 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 25 Burundi 6.38 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 youth mortality rate in Lesotho?
- Youth mortality rate in Lesotho was 6.77 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 youth mortality rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 20.95 deaths per 100 live births in 1966.
- What is the lowest youth mortality rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.77 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for youth mortality rate?
- Lesotho ranks 22nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is youth mortality rate rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. 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 Youth 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 fifteen years, per 100 live births.