Lesotho vs Nigeria: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute)
Lesotho
57.38 years
in 2023
Nigeria
54.46 years
in 2023
Lesotho rank
213th
Nigeria rank
215th
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) over time
- Lesotho
- Nigeria
How they compare
Lesotho currently reports 57.38 years against 54.46 years in Nigeria, a difference of 2.92 years.
That makes Lesotho's figure about 1.1 times Nigeria's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 54 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Lesotho ahead.
Lesotho ranks 213th and Nigeria ranks 215th of 215 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Lesotho averaged higher in 4 and Nigeria in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lesotho | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 53.41 years | 42.94 years | 10.47 years | Lesotho |
| 1980s | 58.65 years | 46.12 years | 12.53 years | Lesotho |
| 1990s | 56 years | 45.88 years | 10.13 years | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 45.07 years | 49.21 years | 4.14 years | Nigeria |
| 2010s | 51 years | 52.05 years | 1.04 years | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 55.88 years | 53.77 years | 2.12 years | Lesotho |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life expectancy at birth, total, Lesotho or Nigeria?
- Lesotho, at 57.38 years against 54.46 years in Nigeria as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life expectancy at birth, total between Lesotho and Nigeria?
- 2.92 years, with Lesotho ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and Nigeria?
- 54 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2023.
- How do Lesotho and Nigeria rank globally for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Lesotho ranks 213th and Nigeria ranks 215th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release