Botswana vs Lesotho: Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate
Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate over time
- Botswana
- Lesotho
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 2.7 births per woman against 2.66 births per woman in Lesotho, a difference of 0.04 births per woman.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Botswana ahead.
Botswana ranks 65th and Lesotho ranks 68th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 4 and Lesotho in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | Lesotho | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.58 births per woman | 5.76 births per woman | 0.8236 births per woman | Botswana |
| 1970s | 6.55 births per woman | 5.77 births per woman | 0.7802 births per woman | Botswana |
| 1980s | 5.53 births per woman | 5.41 births per woman | 0.1179 births per woman | Botswana |
| 1990s | 3.88 births per woman | 4.23 births per woman | 0.3487 births per woman | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 3.15 births per woman | 3.5 births per woman | 0.3556 births per woman | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 3.02 births per woman | 3.19 births per woman | 0.1659 births per woman | Lesotho |
| 2020s | 2.78 births per woman | 2.74 births per woman | 0.0438 births per woman | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate, Botswana or Lesotho?
- Botswana, at 2.7 births per woman against 2.66 births per woman in Lesotho as of 2024.
- What is the difference in total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate between Botswana and Lesotho?
- 0.04 births per woman, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do Botswana and Lesotho rank globally for total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate?
- Botswana ranks 65th and Lesotho ranks 68th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The total fertility rate summarizes the total number of births a woman would have, if she experienced the birth rates seen in women of each age group in one particular year across her childbearing years. The wanted fertility is an estimate of what the total fertility rate would be if all unwanted births were avoided, based on survey data.