Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) (UNESCO Institute) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) (UNESCO Institute) was 55.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
55.4 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 3.8%
World rank
10th
of 195 countries
All-time high
139.9 per 1,000 live births
in 1970
All-time low
55.4 per 1,000 live births
in 2023
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Mortality rate, infant in Lesotho, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in per 1,000 live births.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 55.4 per 1,000 live births for mortality rate, infant in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 23.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, infant in Lesotho peaked at 139.9 per 1,000 live births in 1970 and was at its lowest, 55.4 per 1,000 live births, in 2023.
Lesotho ranks 10th of 195 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) (UNESCO Institute) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 139.9 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1971 | 137.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 135.4 per 1,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 132.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 129.7 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 126 per 1,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 1976 | 121.7 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 1977 | 117.2 per 1,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 1978 | 112.5 per 1,000 live births | -4.0% |
| 1979 | 107.8 per 1,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 1980 | 103.2 per 1,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 1981 | 98.6 per 1,000 live births | -4.5% |
| 1982 | 94.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 1983 | 90.5 per 1,000 live births | -4.1% |
| 1984 | 87 per 1,000 live births | -3.9% |
| 1985 | 83.9 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 1986 | 81.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 79.1 per 1,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 77.2 per 1,000 live births | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 75.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 74.5 per 1,000 live births | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 73.9 per 1,000 live births | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 73.8 per 1,000 live births | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 74.4 per 1,000 live births | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 75.3 per 1,000 live births | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 75.9 per 1,000 live births | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 76.3 per 1,000 live births | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 76.4 per 1,000 live births | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 76.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 77.4 per 1,000 live births | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 78 per 1,000 live births | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 78.3 per 1,000 live births | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 78.5 per 1,000 live births | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 79.2 per 1,000 live births | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 80.2 per 1,000 live births | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 81.4 per 1,000 live births | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 81.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 80.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 83.1 per 1,000 live births | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 78.3 per 1,000 live births | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 76.1 per 1,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 73.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 73.1 per 1,000 live births | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 72.8 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 71.2 per 1,000 live births | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 69.3 per 1,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 68.3 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 68.2 per 1,000 live births | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 64.9 per 1,000 live births | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 63.3 per 1,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 61.2 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 59.8 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 57.6 per 1,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 2023 | 55.4 per 1,000 live births | -3.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 55.4 per 1,000 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 30.2 per 1,000 live births, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 55.4 per 1,000 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 38.35 per 1,000 live births, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 126.07 per 1,000 live births | 107.8 per 1,000 live births | 139.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 87.08 per 1,000 live births | 75.6 per 1,000 live births | 103.2 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.46 per 1,000 live births | 73.8 per 1,000 live births | 77.4 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 79.89 per 1,000 live births | 78 per 1,000 live births | 83.1 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 70.05 per 1,000 live births | 63.3 per 1,000 live births | 76.1 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.5 per 1,000 live births | 55.4 per 1,000 live births | 61.2 per 1,000 live births | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
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 mortality rate, infant in Lesotho?
- Mortality rate, infant in Lesotho was 55.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest mortality rate, infant recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 139.9 per 1,000 live births in 1970.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, infant recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for mortality rate, infant?
- Lesotho ranks 10th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is mortality rate, infant rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.9%. 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 Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release