Lesotho
Life expectancy in Lesotho
Life expectancy in Lesotho: 44.6 years in 1950 and 57.4 years in 2023, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2023
- 57.4 years
- Since 1950
- +12.7 years
- Rank, 2023
- 227 of 229
- counting from the highest
- World, 2023
- 73.2 years
- Projected, 2100
- 74.7 years
- UN projection (medium variant)
years · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (medium variant) puts it at 74.7 years in 2100, between 61.7 years and 86.9 years (95% prediction interval).
- The highest was 59.6 years in 1988, the lowest 43.2 years in 2006.
Every year
years · UN
| Year | Lesotho | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 57.4 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 56.8 | 72.6 |
| 2021 | 54.2 | 70.9 |
| 2020 | 55.1 | 71.9 |
| 2019 | 55.3 | 72.6 |
| 2018 | 54.6 | 72.4 |
| 2017 | 53.9 | 72.1 |
| 2016 | 52.9 | 71.9 |
| 2015 | 51.8 | 71.6 |
| 2014 | 50.8 | 71.4 |
| 2013 | 49.6 | 71.1 |
| 2012 | 48.2 | 70.8 |
| 2011 | 46.9 | 70.4 |
| 2010 | 46 | 70.1 |
| 2009 | 45.1 | 69.7 |
| 2008 | 44.3 | 69.3 |
| 2007 | 43.7 | 69 |
| 2006 | 43.2 | 68.6 |
| 2005 | 43.6 | 68.1 |
| 2004 | 44 | 67.7 |
| 2003 | 44.9 | 67.4 |
| 2002 | 46 | 67.1 |
| 2001 | 47.2 | 66.8 |
| 2000 | 48.8 | 66.4 |
| 1999 | 50.4 | 66 |
| 1998 | 52 | 65.7 |
| 1997 | 53.7 | 65.5 |
| 1996 | 55.1 | 65.2 |
| 1995 | 56.4 | 64.9 |
| 1994 | 57.3 | 64.3 |
| 1993 | 58.1 | 64.4 |
| 1992 | 58.6 | 64.3 |
| 1991 | 59.1 | 64.1 |
| 1990 | 59.3 | 64 |
| 1989 | 59.5 | 63.8 |
| 1988 | 59.6 | 63.4 |
| 1987 | 59.6 | 63.2 |
| 1986 | 59.4 | 62.7 |
| 1985 | 59.2 | 62.2 |
| 1984 | 59 | 61.9 |
| 1983 | 58.5 | 61.5 |
| 1982 | 58 | 61.3 |
| 1981 | 57.3 | 60.9 |
| 1980 | 56.5 | 60.5 |
| 1979 | 55.8 | 60.2 |
| 1978 | 55.2 | 59.5 |
| 1977 | 54.5 | 59.2 |
| 1976 | 53.9 | 58.6 |
| 1975 | 53.5 | 58.3 |
| 1974 | 52.9 | 58.1 |
| 1973 | 52.6 | 57.7 |
| 1972 | 52.3 | 57.2 |
| 1971 | 51.8 | 56 |
| 1970 | 51.5 | 56.3 |
| 1969 | 51.1 | 56 |
| 1968 | 50.8 | 55.6 |
| 1967 | 50.5 | 55.1 |
| 1966 | 50.4 | 54.6 |
| 1965 | 50.3 | 54 |
| 1964 | 50.3 | 54.3 |
| 1963 | 50.3 | 53.7 |
| 1962 | 50.3 | 53.2 |
| 1961 | 50.3 | 50.4 |
| 1960 | 50.2 | 47.8 |
| 1959 | 49.9 | 49.6 |
| 1958 | 49.6 | 51.6 |
| 1957 | 49.2 | 51.1 |
| 1956 | 48.6 | 50.7 |
| 1955 | 48 | 50.2 |
| 1954 | 47.3 | 49.7 |
| 1953 | 46.6 | 48.8 |
| 1952 | 45.9 | 48.2 |
| 1951 | 45.2 | 47.1 |
| 1950 | 44.6 | 46.4 |
UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100
| Year | Lesotho | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 57.856.2–59.5 | 73.3 |
| 2025 | 58.256–60.5 | 73.5 |
| 2026 | 58.655.8–61.5 | 73.8 |
| 2027 | 5955.9–62.3 | 73.9 |
| 2028 | 59.455.7–62.9 | 74.1 |
| 2029 | 59.855.7–63.8 | 74.2 |
| 2030 | 60.255.7–64.1 | 74.4 |
| 2031 | 60.655.7–64.9 | 74.5 |
| 2032 | 60.955.6–65.5 | 74.7 |
| 2033 | 61.355.9–66.3 | 74.8 |
| 2034 | 61.656–67.1 | 75 |
| 2035 | 61.956.1–67.6 | 75.1 |
| 2036 | 62.356.2–68.1 | 75.3 |
| 2037 | 62.656.2–68.7 | 75.4 |
| 2038 | 62.956.4–69.3 | 75.5 |
| 2039 | 63.256.6–69.9 | 75.7 |
| 2040 | 63.456.6–70.4 | 75.8 |
| 2041 | 63.756.7–70.9 | 75.9 |
| 2042 | 6456.4–71.4 | 76.1 |
| 2043 | 64.356.6–71.7 | 76.2 |
| 2044 | 64.556.8–72.2 | 76.3 |
| 2045 | 64.857.1–72.7 | 76.5 |
| 2046 | 65.156.8–73.1 | 76.6 |
| 2047 | 65.357.2–73.4 | 76.7 |
| 2048 | 65.657.2–73.6 | 76.8 |
| 2049 | 65.857.4–74 | 76.9 |
| 2050 | 6657.5–74.2 | 77 |
| 2051 | 66.257.5–74.7 | 77.1 |
| 2052 | 66.557.5–75.2 | 77.2 |
| 2053 | 66.757.8–75.5 | 77.3 |
| 2054 | 66.957.8–75.6 | 77.4 |
| 2055 | 67.157.8–76 | 77.6 |
| 2056 | 67.357.9–76.2 | 77.7 |
| 2057 | 67.558.1–76.8 | 77.8 |
| 2058 | 67.758.2–77.2 | 77.9 |
| 2059 | 67.958.3–77.6 | 78 |
| 2060 | 68.158.1–77.8 | 78.1 |
| 2061 | 68.358.5–78.3 | 78.2 |
| 2062 | 68.558.8–78.6 | 78.3 |
| 2063 | 68.758.9–78.9 | 78.4 |
| 2064 | 68.959–79.1 | 78.5 |
| 2065 | 6959–79.6 | 78.6 |
| 2066 | 69.259.2–79.8 | 78.7 |
| 2067 | 69.459.3–80 | 78.8 |
| 2068 | 69.659.3–80.2 | 78.9 |
| 2069 | 69.859.2–80.5 | 79 |
| 2070 | 69.959.1–80.6 | 79.1 |
| 2071 | 70.159.4–80.9 | 79.2 |
| 2072 | 70.359.5–81.4 | 79.3 |
| 2073 | 70.559.6–81.6 | 79.4 |
| 2074 | 70.659.9–82 | 79.4 |
| 2075 | 70.860.1–82.2 | 79.5 |
| 2076 | 70.960–82.3 | 79.6 |
| 2077 | 71.160.1–82.4 | 79.7 |
| 2078 | 71.360–82.7 | 79.8 |
| 2079 | 71.460.1–83 | 79.9 |
| 2080 | 71.660.2–83.3 | 80 |
| 2081 | 71.860.4–83.4 | 80.1 |
| 2082 | 71.960.4–83.6 | 80.2 |
| 2083 | 72.160.6–83.9 | 80.3 |
| 2084 | 72.360.7–84 | 80.3 |
| 2085 | 72.460.8–84.1 | 80.4 |
| 2086 | 72.661.2–84.4 | 80.5 |
| 2087 | 72.761.2–84.6 | 80.6 |
| 2088 | 72.961–84.9 | 80.7 |
| 2089 | 7361.3–84.9 | 80.8 |
| 2090 | 73.261.5–85.1 | 80.9 |
| 2091 | 73.361.5–85.2 | 81 |
| 2092 | 73.561.7–85.5 | 81 |
| 2093 | 73.661.7–85.6 | 81.1 |
| 2094 | 73.861.4–85.9 | 81.2 |
| 2095 | 73.961.4–86 | 81.3 |
| 2096 | 74.161.4–86.3 | 81.4 |
| 2097 | 74.261.5–86.6 | 81.5 |
| 2098 | 74.461.6–86.8 | 81.6 |
| 2099 | 74.561.3–86.9 | 81.7 |
| 2100 | 74.761.7–86.9 | 81.7 |
Good to know
- How long a newborn would live on average if the year’s death rates held all its life.
- 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
Lesotho in numbers
Every measure for Lesotho on one page
Health
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Military
- Military spending1.63% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$37.3M in 2025
- Military spending per person$17 in 2025
- Military share of state spending2.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel2,000 people in 2020
- National power0.01% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports1 million TIV in 2019