Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 57.38 years in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
57.38 years
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
213th
of 215 countries
All-time high
59.57 years
in 1988
All-time low
43.18 years
in 2006
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Lesotho, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy at birth, total in Lesotho stood at 57.38 years.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Lesotho peaked at 59.57 years in 1988 and was at its lowest, 43.18 years, in 2006.
That places Lesotho 213th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 51.5 years | — |
| 1971 | 51.84 years | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 52.26 years | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 52.62 years | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 52.94 years | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 53.45 years | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 53.93 years | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 54.53 years | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 55.17 years | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 55.84 years | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 56.53 years | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 57.31 years | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 57.98 years | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 58.49 years | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 58.95 years | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 59.21 years | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 59.35 years | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 59.56 years | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 59.57 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 59.51 years | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 59.32 years | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 59.06 years | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 58.64 years | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 58.06 years | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 57.29 years | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 56.37 years | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 55.14 years | -2.2% |
| 1997 | 53.73 years | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 52.03 years | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 50.38 years | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 48.78 years | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 47.15 years | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 45.95 years | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 44.92 years | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 44.04 years | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 43.61 years | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 43.18 years | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 43.66 years | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 44.3 years | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 45.05 years | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 46.05 years | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 46.93 years | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 48.23 years | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 49.55 years | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 50.79 years | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 51.83 years | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 52.91 years | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 53.87 years | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 54.64 years | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 55.25 years | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 55.13 years | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 54.21 years | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 56.81 years | +4.8% |
| 2023 | 57.38 years | +1.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 57.38 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67.65 years, 85% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 57.38 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.1 years, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 53.41 years | 51.5 years | 55.84 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.65 years | 56.53 years | 59.57 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 56 years | 50.38 years | 59.32 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.07 years | 43.18 years | 48.78 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 51 years | 46.05 years | 55.25 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.88 years | 54.21 years | 57.38 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 210 Somalia 58.82 years compare
- 211 South Sudan 57.62 years compare
- 212 Central African Republic 57.41 years compare
- 214 Chad 55.07 years compare
- 215 Nigeria 54.46 years 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 life expectancy at birth, total in Lesotho?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Lesotho was 57.38 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 59.57 years in 1988.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.18 years in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Lesotho ranks 213th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. 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 Life expectancy at birth, total (years). 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