Life Expectancy in Lesotho (2024): Men 55.0, Women 60.4

Life expectancy in Lesotho since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Lesotho has risen by 7.6 years, from 50.2 to 57.8. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 1.0 years (from 55.2 in 2019 to 54.2 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 5.4 years longer than men (60.4 vs 55.0).

Expected age at death in Lesotho by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	55.0	59.1	61.0	67.4	81.4
Women	60.4	64.8	66.1	70.7	82.5

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Lesotho’s figures (method).

How people die in Lesotho

Chronic diseases: 37.9%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 52.1%
Injuries: 10%

In 2019, 38% of deaths in Lesotho were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Lesotho man has a 40% chance and a woman 34% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 31.9 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Lesotho, about 60.0 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Lesotho compared with its region

Lesotho is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #44 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
40	Benin	61.0	59.5	62.4
41	Guinea	60.9	59.7	62.1
42	Mali	60.7	59.3	62.2
43	Somalia, Fed. Rep.	59.0	56.5	61.6
44	Lesotho	57.8	55.0	60.4
45	Central African Republic	57.7	55.5	59.6
46	South Sudan	57.7	54.8	60.7
47	Chad	55.2	53.4	57.2
48	Nigeria	54.6	54.3	54.9

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Lesotho?

57.8 years in 2024: 55.0 for men and 60.4 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Lesotho?

Yes. Women in Lesotho live about 5.4 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Lesotho rank for life expectancy?

Lesotho ranks #213 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 15.7 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Lesotho?

Life expectancy at birth (57.8) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Lesotho can expect to live to about 61.0, and a 40-year-old woman to about 66.1.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.