Average age of mothers at childbirth in Lesotho
Lesotho: Average age of mothers at childbirth was 27.91 years in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
27.91 years
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
198th
of 236 countries
All-time high
30.09 years
in 1955
All-time low
27.91 years
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Average age of mothers at childbirth in Lesotho, 1950–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, average age of mothers at childbirth in Lesotho stood at 27.91 years. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average age of mothers at childbirth in Lesotho peaked at 30.09 years in 1955 and was at its lowest, 27.91 years, in 2023.
That places Lesotho 198th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Average age of mothers at childbirth in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 30.06 years | — |
| 1951 | 30.06 years | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 30.07 years | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 30.08 years | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 30.09 years | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 30.09 years | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 30.06 years | -0.1% |
| 1957 | 30.02 years | -0.1% |
| 1958 | 29.98 years | -0.1% |
| 1959 | 29.94 years | -0.1% |
| 1960 | 29.89 years | -0.1% |
| 1961 | 29.86 years | -0.1% |
| 1962 | 29.84 years | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 29.83 years | -0.0% |
| 1964 | 29.82 years | -0.0% |
| 1965 | 29.84 years | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 29.86 years | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 29.88 years | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 29.89 years | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 29.9 years | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 29.91 years | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 29.88 years | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 29.84 years | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 29.8 years | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 29.75 years | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 29.7 years | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 29.64 years | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 29.59 years | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 29.59 years | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 29.59 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 29.64 years | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 29.68 years | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 29.69 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 29.7 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 29.68 years | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 29.68 years | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 29.65 years | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 29.64 years | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 29.59 years | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 29.54 years | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 29.49 years | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 29.42 years | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 29.41 years | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 29.38 years | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 29.3 years | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 29.3 years | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 29.2 years | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 29.11 years | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 29.05 years | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 28.99 years | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 28.98 years | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 28.97 years | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 29 years | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 28.85 years | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 28.77 years | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 28.61 years | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 28.49 years | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 28.38 years | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 28.32 years | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 28.31 years | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 28.32 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 28.34 years | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 28.23 years | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 28.19 years | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 28.28 years | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 28.38 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 28.2 years | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 28.1 years | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 28.05 years | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 28.01 years | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 27.99 years | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 27.95 years | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 27.93 years | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 27.91 years | -0.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 27.91 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.56 years, 98% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 27.91 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.9 years, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 30.04 years | 29.94 years | 30.09 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 29.86 years | 29.82 years | 29.9 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 29.73 years | 29.59 years | 29.91 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 29.65 years | 29.54 years | 29.7 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 29.27 years | 28.99 years | 29.49 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.67 years | 28.31 years | 29 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.21 years | 28.01 years | 28.38 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.94 years | 27.91 years | 27.99 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More reference data data for Lesotho
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0331 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5388 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0101 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1115 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0549 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average age of mothers at childbirth in Lesotho?
- Average age of mothers at childbirth in Lesotho was 27.91 years in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average age of mothers at childbirth recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 30.09 years in 1955.
- What is the lowest average age of mothers at childbirth recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.91 years in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for average age of mothers at childbirth?
- Lesotho ranks 198th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average age of mothers at childbirth rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Average age of mothers at childbirth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children if women were subject throughout their lives to the age-specific fertility rates observed in a given year.