Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) was 2.69 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
2.69 births per woman
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
71st
of 215 countries
All-time high
5.87 births per woman
in 1976
All-time low
2.69 births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in Lesotho, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate, total in Lesotho stood at 2.69 births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Lesotho peaked at 5.87 births per woman in 1976 and was at its lowest, 2.69 births per woman, in 2023.
That places Lesotho 71st out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5.7 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 5.7 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 5.69 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 5.69 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 5.75 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 5.83 births per woman | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 5.87 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 5.85 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 5.82 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 5.79 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 5.75 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 5.69 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 5.63 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 5.56 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 5.48 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 5.4 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 5.32 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 5.22 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 5.1 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 4.96 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 4.81 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 4.68 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 4.54 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1993 | 4.37 births per woman | -3.9% |
| 1994 | 4.21 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 4.12 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 4.06 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 3.98 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 3.81 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 3.67 births per woman | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 3.6 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 3.63 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 3.68 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 3.62 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 3.51 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 3.43 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 3.41 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 3.44 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 3.39 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 3.31 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 3.25 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 3.34 births per woman | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 3.3 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 3.28 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 3.24 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 3.22 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 3.18 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 3.1 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 3.02 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 2.92 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 2.85 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 2.77 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 2.72 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 2.69 births per woman | -0.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 2.69 births per woman is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.15 births per woman, 86% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 2.69 births per woman is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4 births per woman, 67% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.77 births per woman | 5.69 births per woman | 5.87 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.41 births per woman | 4.96 births per woman | 5.75 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.23 births per woman | 3.67 births per woman | 4.81 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.5 births per woman | 3.31 births per woman | 3.68 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.19 births per woman | 2.92 births per woman | 3.34 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.76 births per woman | 2.69 births per woman | 2.85 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 68 East Timor 2.71 births per woman compare
- 69 Kyrgyzstan 2.7 births per woman compare
- 69 Mongolia 2.7 births per woman compare
- 72 Turkmenistan 2.69 births per woman compare
- 73 Haiti 2.66 births per woman compare
- 74 Jordan 2.64 births per woman compare
More population data for Lesotho
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3315 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6353 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.201 (2100)
- Population density 107.36 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 190,191 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.201 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 2.27 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Lesotho?
- Fertility rate, total in Lesotho was 2.69 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 5.87 births per woman in 1976.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.69 births per woman in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for fertility rate, total?
- Lesotho ranks 71st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total 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 UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release