Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Lesotho
Lesotho: Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception was 2.66 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.66 births per woman
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
68th
of 215 countries
All-time high
5.87 births per woman
in 1976
All-time low
2.66 births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Lesotho, 1960–2024
Source: United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 2.66 births per woman for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Lesotho peaked at 5.87 births per woman in 1976 and was at its lowest, 2.66 births per woman, in 2024.
Lesotho ranks 68th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.78 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 5.79 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 5.79 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 5.78 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 5.76 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 5.77 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 5.76 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 5.75 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 5.72 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 5.7 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 5.7 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 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% |
| 2024 | 2.66 births per woman | -1.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 2.66 births per woman is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.12 births per woman, 85% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 2.66 births per woman is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.91 births per woman, 68% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.76 births per woman | 5.7 births per woman | 5.79 births per woman | 10 |
| 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 | 2.74 births per woman | 2.66 births per woman | 2.85 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 65 Botswana 2.7 births per woman compare
- 66 Syria 2.7 births per woman compare
- 67 Saint Martin (French part) 2.67 births per woman compare
- 69 Turkmenistan 2.66 births per woman compare
- 70 East Timor 2.63 births per woman compare
- 71 Haiti 2.62 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)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 107.36 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 190,191 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 3.4 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Lesotho?
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Lesotho was 2.66 births per woman in 2024, according to United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 5.87 births per woman in 1976.
- What is the lowest fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.66 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception?
- Lesotho ranks 68th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The total fertility rate, in a given year. The unmet need for contraception shows the estimated share of married fertile women of reproductive age who do not want to become pregnant and are not using contraception.