Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in Lesotho
Lesotho: Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age was 2.41 children per women in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
2.41 children per women
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
81st
of 236 countries
All-time high
4.28 children per women
in 1980
All-time low
2.41 children per women
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: Malani and Jacob (2024); UN, World Population Prospects (2024); Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in children per women.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 2.41 children per women for fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in Lesotho peaked at 4.28 children per women in 1980 and was at its lowest, 2.41 children per women, in 2023.
Lesotho ranks 81st 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.
Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | children per women | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3.98 children per women | — |
| 1951 | 4.03 children per women | +1.3% |
| 1952 | 4.07 children per women | +1.1% |
| 1953 | 4.11 children per women | +1.0% |
| 1954 | 4.17 children per women | +1.3% |
| 1955 | 4.19 children per women | +0.5% |
| 1956 | 4.21 children per women | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 4.22 children per women | +0.2% |
| 1958 | 4.22 children per women | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 4.22 children per women | -0.2% |
| 1960 | 4.2 children per women | -0.3% |
| 1961 | 4.19 children per women | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 4.17 children per women | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 4.15 children per women | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 4.12 children per women | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 4.11 children per women | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 4.08 children per women | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 4.07 children per women | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 4.04 children per women | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 4.03 children per women | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 4.02 children per women | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 4.03 children per women | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 4.04 children per women | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 4.04 children per women | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 4.11 children per women | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 4.18 children per women | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 4.24 children per women | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 4.25 children per women | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 4.27 children per women | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 4.28 children per women | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 4.28 children per women | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 4.28 children per women | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 4.28 children per women | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 4.26 children per women | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 4.23 children per women | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 4.21 children per women | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 4.18 children per women | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 4.14 children per women | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 4.07 children per women | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 3.99 children per women | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 3.88 children per women | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 3.79 children per women | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 3.69 children per women | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 3.56 children per women | -3.7% |
| 1994 | 3.44 children per women | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 3.37 children per women | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 3.32 children per women | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 3.25 children per women | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 3.12 children per women | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 3 children per women | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 2.95 children per women | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 2.98 children per women | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 3.03 children per women | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 2.98 children per women | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 2.9 children per women | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 2.85 children per women | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 2.85 children per women | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 2.89 children per women | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 2.87 children per women | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 2.81 children per women | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 2.78 children per women | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 2.88 children per women | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 2.85 children per women | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 2.85 children per women | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.82 children per women | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 2.81 children per women | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 2.79 children per women | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 2.73 children per women | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 2.66 children per women | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 2.58 children per women | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 2.52 children per women | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 2.46 children per women | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 2.42 children per women | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 2.41 children per women | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4.14 children per women | 3.98 children per women | 4.22 children per women | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.12 children per women | 4.03 children per women | 4.2 children per women | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.15 children per women | 4.02 children per women | 4.28 children per women | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.19 children per women | 3.99 children per women | 4.28 children per women | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.44 children per women | 3 children per women | 3.88 children per women | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.91 children per women | 2.81 children per women | 3.03 children per women | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.78 children per women | 2.58 children per women | 2.88 children per women | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.45 children per women | 2.41 children per women | 2.52 children per women | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More population data for Lesotho
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3315 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 190,191 people (2100)
- Population density 107.36 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6353 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.5533 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in Lesotho?
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in Lesotho was 2.41 children per women in 2023, according to Malani and Jacob (2024); UN, World Population Prospects (2024); Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 4.28 children per women in 1980.
- What is the lowest fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.41 children per women in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age?
- Lesotho ranks 81st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Malani and Jacob (2024); UN, World Population Prospects (2024); Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children who live long enough to reproduce, per woman. This number is dependent on the survival of daughters to childbearing age (between 15 and 49 years old).