Birth rate in Lesotho
Lesotho: Birth rate was 24.11 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Birth rate in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for birth rate in Lesotho is 24.11 births per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 19.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Lesotho peaked at 45.12 births per 1,000 people in 1956 and was at its lowest, 24.11 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Lesotho 58th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 44.6 births per 1,000 people | 43.59 births per 1,000 people | 45.12 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 43.22 births per 1,000 people | 41.27 births per 1,000 people | 44.57 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.61 births per 1,000 people | 39.94 births per 1,000 people | 41.1 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 38.46 births per 1,000 people | 36.27 births per 1,000 people | 40.38 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.43 births per 1,000 people | 28.46 births per 1,000 people | 35.13 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 29 births per 1,000 people | 28.25 births per 1,000 people | 29.64 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.9 births per 1,000 people | 26.44 births per 1,000 people | 30.21 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.76 births per 1,000 people | 24.11 births per 1,000 people | 25.63 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
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: births per woman 2.69 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Lesotho?
- Birth rate in Lesotho was 24.11 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 45.12 births per 1,000 people in 1956.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.11 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for birth rate?
- Lesotho ranks 58th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.