Share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts in Lesotho

Lesotho: Share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts was 39.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
39.7%
World rank
55th
of 96 countries
All-time high
68.0%
in 1987
All-time low
35.0%
in 1996
Years of data
9
1987–2018

Share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts in Lesotho, 1987–2018

02040601987200220181987: 68 % of children under 5 who received ORS packet1989: 68 % of children under 5 who received ORS packet1996: 35 % of children under 5 who received ORS packet2000: 53.9 % of children under 5 who received ORS packet2004: 41.9 % of children under 5 who received ORS packet2005: 41.9 % of children under 5 who received ORS packet2009: 51.3 % of children under 5 who received ORS packet2014: 53.4 % of children under 5 who received ORS packet2018: 39.7 % of children under 5 who received ORS packet

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 5 who received ORS packet.

Analysis

In 2018, share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts in Lesotho stood at 39.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts in Lesotho peaked at 68.0% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 35.0%, in 1996.

That places Lesotho 55th out of 96 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts in Lesotho, year by year

Annual values for Share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts in Lesotho, 1987 to 2018.
Year % of children under 5 who received ORS packet Change
1987 68.0%
1989 68.0% +0.0%
1996 35.0% -48.5%
2000 53.9% +54.0%
2004 41.9% -22.3%
2005 41.9% +0.0%
2009 51.3% +22.4%
2014 53.4% +4.1%
2018 39.7% -25.7%

Lesotho compared with similar countries

  • Lesotho's 39.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 40.0%, 99% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
  • Lesotho's 39.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 37.5%, 1.1× the median. (41 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 68.0% 68.0% 68.0% 2
1990s 35.0% 35.0% 35.0% 1
2000s 47.2% 41.9% 53.9% 4
2010s 46.5% 39.7% 53.4% 2

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 52 Bolivia 40.0% compare
  2. 52 Nigeria 40.0% compare
  3. 54 Afghanistan 39.9% compare
  4. 56 Guyana 39.6% compare
  5. 56 Tunisia 39.6% compare
  6. 58 Burkina Faso 39.5% compare

See the full ranking of 96 places →

More reference data data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts in Lesotho?
Share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts in Lesotho was 39.7% in 2018, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 68.0% in 1987.
What is the lowest share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 35.0% in 1996.
How does Lesotho rank for share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts?
Lesotho ranks 55th out of 96 countries with data for 2018.
Is share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/children-who-receive-ors/lesotho/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/children-who-receive-ors/lesotho/">Share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts in Lesotho</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Share of children with diarrhea receiving oral rehydration salts
Unit
% of children under 5 who received ORS packet
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
96 places, 780 data points, 1985–2021
Last refreshed

The share of children under five years old with diarrhea, in the two weeks prior to the survey, who received oral rehydration salts.