Life expectancy by sex in Lesotho
Lesotho: Life expectancy by sex was 60.01 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
Life expectancy by sex in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 60.01 years for life expectancy by sex in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy by sex in Lesotho peaked at 64.04 years in 1988 and was at its lowest, 44.85 years, in 2006.
That places Lesotho 233rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 50.17 years | 47.42 years | 52.61 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 53.45 years | 52.92 years | 54.48 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.2 years | 54.91 years | 60.13 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 63.03 years | 60.88 years | 64.04 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 59.68 years | 53.01 years | 63.62 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.29 years | 44.85 years | 51.15 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.43 years | 48.3 years | 57.67 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.48 years | 56.8 years | 60.01 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More population data for Lesotho
- 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)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 2.66 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 2.66 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 419 people (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 2.66 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious 2.69 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age 2.41 children per women (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy by sex in Lesotho?
- Life expectancy by sex in Lesotho was 60.01 years in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy by sex recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 64.04 years in 1988.
- What is the lowest life expectancy by sex recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.85 years in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for life expectancy by sex?
- Lesotho ranks 233rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy by sex rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The period life expectancy at birth among females, in a given year.