Lesotho: health and care

What is the life expectancy in Lesotho?

Life expectancy at birth in Lesotho was 63.9 years in 2023, 60.1 for men and 67.7 for women, according to the Vital Statistics Report 2023 of the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics. The World Bank, using UN population estimates, gives a lower 57.4 years for 2023 and 57.8 for 2024.

The bureau's figure is extrapolated from the 2021 Lesotho Demographic Survey, while the UN figure comes from a separate model. The bureau recorded 14,276 registered deaths in 2023 and estimates that 78.9% of deaths were registered, so registered deaths alone understate mortality.

Official sources: Bureau of Statistics: Vital Statistics Report 2023 (ZIP with PDF) · World Bank: Life expectancy at birth, Lesotho

What is the HIV rate in Lesotho?

17.1% of people aged 15 to 49 in Lesotho were living with HIV in 2024, according to the World Bank, which publishes UNAIDS estimates. The rate was 19.8% in 2021.

The figure is a modelled estimate of everyone in that age group living with the virus, whether diagnosed or not. Prevalence can fall slowly even when new infections drop, because people on treatment live longer. Tuberculosis is also tracked: the World Bank reports 548 new cases per 100,000 people in 2024, down from 611 in 2022.

Official sources: World Bank: Prevalence of HIV, Lesotho · World Bank: Incidence of tuberculosis, Lesotho

What is the maternal mortality rate in Lesotho?

Lesotho's maternal mortality ratio was 530 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, and the under-5 mortality rate was 54 per 1,000 live births, according to the Vital Statistics Report 2023 of the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics.

The bureau takes both figures from the 2023-24 Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey rather than from registered deaths. Its table shows maternal mortality at 571 in 2019 and under-5 mortality at 70. The maternal ratio counts deaths of women from pregnancy-related causes during pregnancy or within 42 days of its end. Birth registration was 61.0% complete in 2023, with 24,904 registered live births.

Official sources: Bureau of Statistics: Vital Statistics Report 2023 (ZIP with PDF)

How many hospitals and clinics does Lesotho have?

The Ministry of Health's DHIS2 system lists 377 health facilities in Lesotho, of which 217 reported data for 2024, including 17 general hospitals, according to the Health Statistics Report 2024 of the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics. The report counts 10 government hospitals and the rest run by the Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL).

Coughs and colds were the leading cause of outpatient visits in 2024, at 34.5% of the top ten diagnoses. The report excludes private facilities and some hospitals that did not report. Lesotho had 0.23 doctors per 1,000 people in 2022, according to the World Bank.

Official sources: Bureau of Statistics: Health Statistics Report 2024 (ZIP with PDF) · World Bank: Physicians per 1,000 people, Lesotho

What is life expectancy in Lesotho?

57.8 years: that is life expectancy at birth in Lesotho for 2024, according to the UN Population Division. That is the highest since at least 2005. Sub-Saharan Africa median: 64.3 years; Lesotho is 44th highest of 48. World rank, highest first: 189th of 193.

What is the infant mortality rate in Lesotho?

The UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation puts the infant mortality rate in Lesotho at 56.3 per 1,000 in 2024. No year since 2005 has been lower. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 37.2 per 1,000, and Lesotho placed 10th highest of 48. Of 192 countries with 2024 data, 10th highest.

How many women die in childbirth in Lesotho?

The latest figure from the WHO, for 2023, is 478 per 100,000. The peak was 1,387 per 100,000 in 2009 and the low 467 per 100,000 in 2019. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 257 per 100,000, and Lesotho placed 10th highest of 48. Worldwide: 11th of 192.

How much does Lesotho spend on health?

12.6% of GDP: that is current health spending in Lesotho for 2023, according to the WHO. Since 2005 it has ranged from 4.7% of GDP (2005) to 21.9% of GDP (2019). It is 2nd highest of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 4.4% of GDP. World rank, highest first: 8th of 191.

What is out-of-pocket health spending in Lesotho?

The WHO puts out-of-pocket health spending in Lesotho at 13.2% in 2023. Since 2005 it has ranged from 7.3% (2019) to 34.4% (2005). Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 32.4%, and Lesotho placed 39th highest of 48. World rank, highest first: 150th of 191.

How many doctors per person does Lesotho have?

In 2022, the number of doctors per 1,000 people in Lesotho was 0.23 per 1,000, according to the WHO. In 2010 the figure was 0.07 per 1,000. It is 17th highest of 46 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 0.18 per 1,000. World rank, highest first: 94th of 125.

How many children in Lesotho are vaccinated against measles?

According to WHO and UNICEF, measles vaccination among children aged 12 to 23 months in Lesotho was 90.0% in 2024. Its high point since 2005 was 2015, at 93.0%; its low point was 2023, at 76.0%. Sub-Saharan Africa median: 81.0%; Lesotho is 8th highest of 48. Worldwide: 92nd of 191.