Lesotho vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 56.5 per 1,000 live births in Lesotho and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Lesotho, by 28.7 per 1,000 live births, or 2.03 times that in South Africa.

LesothoSouth Africa

Watch it change on the map

Change since 1950, % · UN

All years Since 1990 Since 2010

Values Change

Linear Log

World Projection

LesothoSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

Latest figures

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

Country	Latest	10 years before	Rank in 2023	Projected
Lesotho	56.5 2023	66.2	10 of 229	10.1 2100
South Africa	27.9 2023	29.6	51 of 229	3 2100
World	27.3 2023	33.9		9.6 2100

What the numbers say

Lesotho has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Lesotho ranked 10 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Lesotho at 10.1 per 1,000 live births and South Africa at 3 per 1,000 live births in 2100.
The world as a whole: 27.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023.

Every year

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

Year	Lesotho	South Africa	World
2023	56.5	27.9	27.3
2022	57.5	30.1	28.2
2021	58.5	27.6	28.4
2020	59.9	21.8	28.7
2019	60.3	27.8	29.2
2018	61.1	26.1	29.7
2017	61.8	23.8	30.3
2016	62.7	26.2	31.1
2015	63.7	28	32.1
2014	64.8	29.2	32.9
2013	66.2	29.6	33.9
2012	68.2	27.6	35
2011	70.7	28.5	36.8
2010	73.5	35.4	37.7
2009	77	39.7	39.1
2008	80.5	45.4	40.4
2007	83.4	48.3	42
2006	85.5	49.6	43.7
2005	86.7	51.9	45.4
2004	87	51.2	47.2
2003	86.7	53.5	48.8
2002	86	51.9	50.6
2001	84.9	47.3	52.2
2000	83.7	45.8	53.7
1999	82.2	51.1	55.5
1998	80.2	49.8	57.1
1997	78.1	48.6	58.3
1996	75.8	47.6	59.6
1995	73.5	46.8	60.8
1994	71.3	46.2	62
1993	69.6	46.1	62.9
1992	68.3	46.2	64.1
1991	67.8	46.7	64.9
1990	67.9	47.5	64.9
1989	68.5	48.6	66.2
1988	69.8	49.9	68
1987	71.6	51.7	68.6
1986	73.6	53.4	70.8
1985	76.1	55.5	72.9
1984	78.9	57.7	74.6
1983	82	60	76.1
1982	85.4	62.5	76.6
1981	89	65.1	78.7
1980	92.9	67.5	80.6
1979	96.8	70	82.5
1978	100.7	72.3	84.7
1977	104.6	74.6	86.4
1976	108.3	76.7	88.1
1975	111.8	78.6	89.6
1974	115.1	80.4	90.9
1973	118	82.1	92.1
1972	120.7	83.8	93.6
1971	123.1	85.3	96.1
1970	125.2	86.7	96.9
1969	127	88	98.3
1968	128.5	89.1	100.2
1967	129.7	90.2	103.1
1966	130.4	91.3	104.9
1965	130.9	92.3	106.4
1964	131	93.3	106.1
1963	131.1	94.5	107.7
1962	131.2	95.9	110.2
1961	131.5	97.6	121.5
1960	132.2	99.7	131.8
1959	133.5	102.3	125.7
1958	135.4	105.5	117.7
1957	137.9	109.3	120
1956	140.8	113.4	121.9
1955	144.2	117.8	124.8
1954	147.7	122.2	127.7
1953	151.3	126.4	130.1
1952	154.9	130.6	132.7
1951	158.5	134.5	136
1950	162.3	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Lesotho	South Africa	World
2024	54.647.1–63.8	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	52.943.6–65.5	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	51.339.8–66.8	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	49.736.8–67.1	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	48.234.6–68.6	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	46.831.3–68.5	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	45.430.2–68.9	20.211–31.2	24
2031	44.227.7–68.9	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	42.925.8–69.6	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	41.723.1–68.5	199–31.8	22.8
2034	40.620.7–68.1	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	39.419.2–67.2	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	38.417.5–67.1	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	37.416.1–67.5	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	36.514.7–66.5	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	35.513.2–66	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	34.512–66.5	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	33.610.9–65.9	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	32.710.1–66.9	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	31.89.5–67.1	155.2–32.6	19
2044	318.8–66.2	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	30.28.1–65.1	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	29.47.6–66.4	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	28.77.2–64.5	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	287–65.1	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	27.36.7–64.2	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	26.76.7–63.5	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	26.16.1–63.4	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	25.55.8–63.6	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	24.95.6–62.6	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	24.45.6–62.1	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	23.95.2–62.3	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	23.45.1–63	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	22.94.8–63	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	22.54.6–62.8	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	22.14.5–62.5	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	21.54.4–63.4	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	214.1–61.8	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	20.44–60.1	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	19.93.9–59	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	19.53.8–59	8.22–28	14.5
2065	193.5–57.8	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	18.53.5–56.3	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	18.13.5–57.4	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	17.73.4–57.3	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	17.33.3–57.9	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	173.3–58.2	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	16.63.1–56.3	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	16.33–56.2	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	15.93–55.6	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	15.62.9–54.8	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	15.32.8–54.2	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	152.8–54.1	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	14.72.8–54	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	14.42.7–55.1	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	14.12.7–54	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	13.82.6–54	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	13.62.6–52.8	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	13.32.5–52	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	132.5–51.8	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	12.82.5–52.3	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	12.62.5–51.2	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	12.42.4–49.9	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	12.12.3–49	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	11.92.3–50.4	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	11.72.3–49.1	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	11.62.3–48.7	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	11.42.3–49.2	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	11.32.2–48	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	11.12.2–49	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	10.92.2–49.6	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	10.82.1–49.2	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	10.62.1–49.7	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	10.52–50.6	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	10.32–50.1	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	10.22–50.2	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	10.12–49.9	30.6–21.8	9.6

Each country on its own

Good to know

Babies who die before their first birthday, per 1,000 born alive.
Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time