Life Expectancy at Birth in Lesotho
Lesotho: Life Expectancy at Birth was 57.8 in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
57.8
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
212th
of 216 countries
All-time high
59.57
in 1988
All-time low
43.18
in 2006
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life Expectancy at Birth in Lesotho, 1960–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
In 2024, life expectancy at birth in Lesotho stood at 57.8.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Lesotho peaked at 59.57 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 43.18, in 2006.
That places Lesotho 212th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Life Expectancy at Birth in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 50.17 | — |
| 1961 | 50.27 | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 50.31 | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 50.26 | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 50.31 | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 50.33 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 50.38 | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 50.51 | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 50.79 | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 51.12 | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 51.5 | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 51.84 | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 52.26 | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 52.62 | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 52.94 | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 53.45 | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 53.93 | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 54.53 | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 55.17 | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 55.84 | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 56.53 | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 57.31 | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 57.98 | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 58.49 | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 58.95 | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 59.21 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 59.35 | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 59.56 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 59.57 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 59.51 | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 59.32 | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 59.06 | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 58.64 | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 58.06 | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 57.29 | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 56.37 | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 55.14 | -2.2% |
| 1997 | 53.73 | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 52.03 | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 50.38 | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 48.78 | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 47.15 | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 45.95 | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 44.92 | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 44.04 | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 43.61 | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 43.18 | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 43.66 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 44.3 | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 45.05 | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 46.05 | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 46.93 | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 48.23 | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 49.55 | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 50.79 | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 51.83 | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 52.91 | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 53.87 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 54.64 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 55.25 | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 55.13 | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 54.21 | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 56.81 | +4.8% |
| 2023 | 57.38 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 57.8 | +0.7% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 57.8 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67.85, 85% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 57.8 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.26, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 50.44 | 50.17 | 51.12 | 10 |
| 1970s | 53.41 | 51.5 | 55.84 | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.65 | 56.53 | 59.57 | 10 |
| 1990s | 56 | 50.38 | 59.32 | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.07 | 43.18 | 48.78 | 10 |
| 2010s | 51 | 46.05 | 55.25 | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.27 | 54.21 | 57.8 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More gender data for Lesotho
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 786.22 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.5717 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1,708 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1,708 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 26,291 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 26,787 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 25,880 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 26,319 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 25,717 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Lesotho?
- Life expectancy at birth in Lesotho was 57.8 in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 59.57 in 1988.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.18 in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Lesotho ranks 212th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Life Expectancy at Birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gender-disaggregated data on health outcomes.