Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Lesotho

Lesotho: Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity was 2.69 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
2.69
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
72nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
5.87
in 1976
All-time low
2.69
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Lesotho, 1950–2023

0246195019862023

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Lesotho is 2.69, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 17.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Lesotho peaked at 5.87 in 1976 and was at its lowest, 2.69, in 2023.

Lesotho ranks 72nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Lesotho, year by year

Annual values for Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Lesotho, 1950 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1950 5.7 —
1951 5.72 +0.4%
1952 5.73 +0.2%
1953 5.75 +0.2%
1954 5.79 +0.7%
1955 5.79 +0.0%
1956 5.79 +0.1%
1957 5.79 +0.0%
1958 5.79 +0.0%
1959 5.79 -0.1%
1960 5.78 -0.1%
1961 5.79 +0.0%
1962 5.79 +0.0%
1963 5.78 -0.2%
1964 5.76 -0.2%
1965 5.77 +0.1%
1966 5.76 -0.3%
1967 5.75 -0.2%
1968 5.72 -0.3%
1969 5.7 -0.4%
1970 5.7 -0.1%
1971 5.7 -0.0%
1972 5.69 -0.0%
1973 5.69 -0.1%
1974 5.75 +1.1%
1975 5.83 +1.3%
1976 5.87 +0.8%
1977 5.85 -0.4%
1978 5.82 -0.4%
1979 5.79 -0.6%
1980 5.75 -0.7%
1981 5.69 -0.9%
1982 5.63 -1.1%
1983 5.56 -1.3%
1984 5.48 -1.5%
1985 5.4 -1.4%
1986 5.32 -1.6%
1987 5.22 -1.8%
1988 5.1 -2.3%
1989 4.96 -2.7%
1990 4.81 -3.0%
1991 4.68 -2.7%
1992 4.54 -3.0%
1993 4.37 -3.9%
1994 4.21 -3.6%
1995 4.12 -2.0%
1996 4.06 -1.6%
1997 3.98 -1.9%
1998 3.81 -4.2%
1999 3.67 -3.8%
2000 3.6 -1.8%
2001 3.63 +0.7%
2002 3.68 +1.4%
2003 3.62 -1.7%
2004 3.51 -3.1%
2005 3.43 -2.3%
2006 3.41 -0.4%
2007 3.44 +0.8%
2008 3.39 -1.5%
2009 3.31 -2.4%
2010 3.25 -1.8%
2011 3.34 +2.9%
2012 3.3 -1.4%
2013 3.28 -0.4%
2014 3.24 -1.3%
2015 3.22 -0.7%
2016 3.18 -1.2%
2017 3.1 -2.4%
2018 3.02 -2.9%
2019 2.92 -3.1%
2020 2.85 -2.7%
2021 2.77 -2.7%
2022 2.72 -1.9%
2023 2.69 -0.8%

Lesotho compared with similar countries

  • Lesotho's 2.69 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.15, 86% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Lesotho's 2.69 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4, 67% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 5.76 5.7 5.79 10
1960s 5.76 5.7 5.79 10
1970s 5.77 5.69 5.87 10
1980s 5.41 4.96 5.75 10
1990s 4.23 3.67 4.81 10
2000s 3.5 3.31 3.68 10
2010s 3.19 2.92 3.34 10
2020s 2.76 2.69 2.85 4

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 69 Saint Martin (French Part) 2.72 compare
  2. 70 Syria 2.71 compare
  3. 71 East Timor 2.71 compare
  4. 73 Turkmenistan 2.69 compare
  5. 74 Mongolia 2.69 compare
  6. 75 Haiti 2.66 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Lesotho?
Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Lesotho was 2.69 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 5.87 in 1976.
What is the lowest children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 2.69 in 2023.
How does Lesotho rank for children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity?
Lesotho ranks 72nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/children-per-woman-fertility-rate-vs-level-of-prosperity/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed