Fertility rate: births per woman in Lesotho
Lesotho: Fertility rate: births per woman was 2.69 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Fertility rate: births per woman in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 2.69 live births per woman for fertility rate: births per woman 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, fertility rate: births per woman in Lesotho peaked at 5.87 live births per woman in 1976 and was at its lowest, 2.69 live births per woman, 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.76 live births per woman | 5.7 live births per woman | 5.79 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.76 live births per woman | 5.7 live births per woman | 5.79 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.77 live births per woman | 5.69 live births per woman | 5.87 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.41 live births per woman | 4.96 live births per woman | 5.75 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.23 live births per woman | 3.67 live births per woman | 4.81 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.5 live births per woman | 3.31 live births per woman | 3.68 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.19 live births per woman | 2.92 live births per woman | 3.34 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.76 live births per woman | 2.69 live births per woman | 2.85 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 69 Saint Martin (French part) 2.72 live births per woman compare
- 70 Syria 2.71 live births per woman compare
- 71 East Timor 2.71 live births per woman compare
- 73 Turkmenistan 2.69 live births per woman compare
- 74 Mongolia 2.69 live births per woman compare
- 75 Haiti 2.66 live births per woman compare
More population data for Lesotho
- 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)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 2.66 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 419 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 2.66 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 2.66 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 1.3% (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. GDP per capita 2.69 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate: births per woman in Lesotho?
- Fertility rate: births per woman in Lesotho was 2.69 live births per woman in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 5.87 live births per woman in 1976.
- What is the lowest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.69 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for fertility rate: births per woman?
- Lesotho ranks 72nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate: births per woman 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 UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The total fertility rate: the average number of children a woman would have if she experienced the year's age-specific birth rates throughout her childbearing years.