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Fertility & birth rates in Estonia and Lesotho

Updated on by Georank team

Estonia has an annual birth rate of 8 births per 1,000 people, compared to 24.1 for Lesotho. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.31 in Estonia and 2.69 in Lesotho — 105.6% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -33.8% in Estonia and by -53.4% in Lesotho — in 1960, it was 1.98 and 5.78, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Estonia is ranked 176/196 by birth rate compared to 56/196 for Lesotho.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 28.7 years in Estonia, compared to 20.9 years in Lesotho.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 31.2 in Estonia — it's 27.9 in Lesotho.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 5.03 in Estonia vs 70.6 in Lesotho.
  • In Estonia, 21.1% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 27.8% in Lesotho.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.37% in Estonia and +1.35% in Lesotho.

Birth rate data compared

Estonia Lesotho
Fertility rate 1.31 2.69
Birth rate 8 24.1
Birth rate rank 176/196 56/196
Age at first childbirth 28.7 years 20.9 years
Average age at childbearing 31.2 years 27.9 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 4.42 69.1
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 57.3 134.4
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 13.5 38.1
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 21.1% 27.8%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 60.9% 65.3%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.6% 86.6%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.005% 0.48%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.1% 2.87%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.16% 5.54%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.21% 5.89%
Population change due to births and deaths -5,070 +31,115
Natural population change rank 167/196 103/196
Natural population change rate -0.37% +1.35%
Population growth +0.12% +1.12%
Population growth rank 157/197 96/197
Life expectancy 79.5 years 58.2 years

Fertility rate in Estonia vs Lesotho chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Estonia was 1.31 children per woman in 2023, compared to 2.69 in Lesotho in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check Estonia vs Lesotho population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Estonia
Factual

UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Estonia Lesotho
1960 1.98 5.78
1961 1.98 5.79
1962 1.95 5.79
1963 1.89 5.78
1964 1.94 5.77
1965 1.88 5.77
1966 1.87 5.76
1967 1.9 5.75
1968 2.03 5.73
1969 2.13 5.7
1970 2.17 5.7
1971 2.19 5.7
1972 2.13 5.69
1973 2.06 5.69
1974 2.07 5.75
1975 2.04 5.83
1976 2.07 5.87
1977 2.06 5.85
1978 2.02 5.82
1979 2 5.79
1980 2.02 5.75
1981 2.07 5.69
1982 2.07 5.63
1983 2.16 5.56
1984 2.17 5.48
1985 2.13 5.4
1986 2.18 5.32
1987 2.27 5.22
1988 2.27 5.1
1989 2.22 4.96
1990 2.05 4.81
1991 1.8 4.68
1992 1.71 4.54
1993 1.49 4.37
1994 1.42 4.21
1995 1.38 4.13
1996 1.37 4.06
1997 1.32 3.98
1998 1.28 3.82
1999 1.3 3.67
2000 1.36 3.61
2001 1.32 3.63
2002 1.36 3.68
2003 1.37 3.62
2004 1.47 3.51
2005 1.52 3.43
2006 1.58 3.41
2007 1.69 3.44
2008 1.72 3.39
2009 1.7 3.31
2010 1.72 3.25
2011 1.61 3.34
2012 1.56 3.3
2013 1.52 3.28
2014 1.54 3.24
2015 1.58 3.22
2016 1.6 3.18
2017 1.59 3.11
2018 1.67 3.02
2019 1.66 2.92
2020 1.58 2.85
2021 1.61 2.77
2022 1.41 2.72
2023 1.31 2.69
2024 1.32 2.66
2025 1.33 2.64
2026 1.34 2.61
2027 1.35 2.58
2028 1.36 2.55
2029 1.37 2.53
2030 1.38 2.5
2031 1.39 2.47
2032 1.39 2.45
2033 1.4 2.43
2034 1.4 2.41
2035 1.41 2.38
2036 1.41 2.37
2037 1.42 2.34
2038 1.42 2.32
2039 1.42 2.3
2040 1.43 2.29
2041 1.43 2.27
2042 1.44 2.25
2043 1.44 2.24
2044 1.44 2.22
2045 1.45 2.21
2046 1.45 2.19
2047 1.46 2.18
2048 1.46 2.17
2049 1.46 2.16
2050 1.46 2.14

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Estonia
Factual

UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Estonia Lesotho
1960 23.1% 45.1%
1961 23.3% 45.2%
1962 23.3% 45.3%
1963 23.2% 45.2%
1964 23% 44.9%
1965 22.8% 44.8%
1966 22.6% 44.9%
1967 22.3% 44.8%
1968 22.2% 44.4%
1969 22.1% 44%
1970 22.1% 43.6%
1971 22% 43.1%
1972 22% 42.7%
1973 21.9% 42.3%
1974 21.8% 41.9%
1975 21.6% 41.6%
1976 21.6% 41.4%
1977 21.5% 41.5%
1978 21.5% 41.7%
1979 21.6% 41.9%
1980 21.7% 42.1%
1981 21.8% 42.3%
1982 21.9% 42.5%
1983 22% 42.7%
1984 22.1% 42.8%
1985 22.1% 43%
1986 22.1% 42.7%
1987 22.2% 42.5%
1988 22.2% 42.7%
1989 22.3% 42.8%
1990 22.3% 42.9%
1991 22.1% 42.9%
1992 21.8% 42.8%
1993 21.4% 42.6%
1994 21.1% 42.3%
1995 20.7% 42%
1996 20.3% 41.7%
1997 19.8% 41.2%
1998 19.2% 40.7%
1999 18.4% 40.2%
2000 17.6% 39.6%
2001 17.2% 39.1%
2002 16.6% 38.6%
2003 16.1% 38.1%
2004 15.6% 37.7%
2005 15.2% 37.4%
2006 15% 37.1%
2007 14.9% 36.8%
2008 14.9% 36.7%
2009 15% 36.6%
2010 15.2% 36.5%
2011 15.4% 36.5%
2012 15.6% 36.5%
2013 15.7% 36.5%
2014 15.9% 36.6%
2015 16% 36.6%
2016 16.2% 36.6%
2017 16.3% 36.5%
2018 16.4% 36.3%
2019 16.4% 36.1%
2020 16.4% 35.8%
2021 16.4% 35.6%
2022 16.2% 35.3%
2023 16% 34.9%
2024 15.6% 34.5%
2025 15.3% 34.1%
2026 14.9% 33.6%
2027 14.6% 33.1%
2028 14.3% 32.6%
2029 14% 32%
2030 13.7% 31.5%
2031 13.4% 31%
2032 13.1% 30.5%
2033 12.8% 30.1%
2034 12.4% 29.7%
2035 12.2% 29.3%
2036 12% 29%
2037 11.8% 28.8%
2038 11.8% 28.5%
2039 11.9% 28.3%
2040 11.9% 28.1%
2041 12% 27.8%
2042 12.1% 27.6%
2043 12.2% 27.4%
2044 12.3% 27.1%
2045 12.5% 26.9%
2046 12.6% 26.7%
2047 12.8% 26.4%
2048 12.9% 26.2%
2049 13% 25.9%
2050 13.1% 25.7%

Children aged 0-14 make up 15.6% of the population in Estonia and 34.5% in Lesotho in 2024, compared to 22.3% and 42.9% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Estonia and Lesotho compared.

Natural population change in Estonia vs Lesotho by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been -0.21% in Estonia and +1.44% in Lesotho. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Estonia
Lesotho

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Estonia Lesotho
1960 7,511 19,981
1961 7,228 20,581
1962 6,457 21,132
1963 6,043 21,585
1964 6,897 22,116
1965 5,437 22,755
1966 4,842 23,326
1967 5,012 23,911
1968 5,592 24,490
1969 5,515 25,137
1970 6,257 25,935
1971 7,160 26,838
1972 6,267 27,841
1973 5,623 28,859
1974 5,956 30,444
1975 4,717 32,311
1976 4,319 34,117
1977 4,931 35,654
1978 4,088 37,084
1979 3,818 38,440
1980 3,989 39,617
1981 4,612 40,808
1982 5,244 41,941
1983 5,884 42,899
1984 5,163 43,785
1985 4,281 44,575
1986 6,160 45,232
1987 6,829 47,718
1988 6,404 47,158
1989 5,803 46,264
1990 2,825 45,060
1991 -312 44,026
1992 -1,993 42,579
1993 -5,976 40,505
1994 -8,044 38,629
1995 -7,327 37,370
1996 -5,662 36,228
1997 -6,018 34,637
1998 -7,208 30,889
1999 -6,117 27,393
2000 -5,309 24,786
2001 -5,830 23,190
2002 -5,380 22,274
2003 -5,072 20,133
2004 -3,679 17,271
2005 -2,981 15,831
2006 -2,559 15,234
2007 -1,608 17,763
2008 -668 19,349
2009 -400 20,335
2010 0 21,877
2011 -531 25,647
2012 -1,455 27,592
2013 -1,713 29,789
2014 -1,972 30,922
2015 -1,315 32,087
2016 -1,316 33,390
2017 -1,713 33,601
2018 -1,322 33,112
2019 -1,327 32,279
2020 -2,659 30,721
2021 -5,324 27,806
2022 -5,665 30,803
2023 -5,070 31,115

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Estonia vs Lesotho

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 5 deaths per 100,000 live births in Estonia, compared to 478 deaths in Lesotho.

Estonia
Lesotho
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Estonia Lesotho
1985 56 711
1986 46 680
1987 42 686
1988 43 680
1989 48 680
1990 44 665
1991 42 641
1992 40 601
1993 46 542
1994 60 423
1995 45 357
1996 36 319
1997 31 312
1998 32 332
1999 28 371
2000 27 413
2001 25 465
2002 22 484
2003 18 508
2004 15 499
2005 15 549
2006 13 696
2007 13 891
2008 11 1,205
2009 10 1,387
2010 8 1,311
2011 9 1,210
2012 8 1,000
2013 6 855
2014 7 707
2015 6 594
2016 7 518
2017 5 468
2018 5 491
2019 6 467
2020 6 529
2021 8 577
2022 7 477
2023 5 478

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.21% in Estonia and 5.89% in Lesotho. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Estonia
Lesotho

Probability that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five

Year Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births
Estonia Lesotho
1960 - 18.6%
1961 - 18.5%
1962 - 18.5%
1963 - 18.6%
1964 - 18.6%
1965 - 18.7%
1966 - 18.6%
1967 - 18.5%
1968 - 18.3%
1969 - 18%
1970 - 17.7%
1971 - 17.3%
1972 - 16.9%
1973 - 16.5%
1974 - 16%
1975 - 15.5%
1976 - 14.9%
1977 - 14.2%
1978 - 13.6%
1979 - 12.9%
1980 2.24% 12.3%
1981 2.16% 11.7%
1982 2.09% 11.1%
1983 2.02% 10.6%
1984 1.96% 10.1%
1985 1.91% 9.72%
1986 1.86% 9.36%
1987 1.83% 9.06%
1988 1.81% 8.8%
1989 1.79% 8.6%
1990 1.77% 8.47%
1991 1.75% 8.43%
1992 1.73% 8.51%
1993 1.69% 8.73%
1994 1.64% 9.07%
1995 1.57% 9.45%
1996 1.48% 9.83%
1997 1.39% 10.2%
1998 1.29% 10.5%
1999 1.2% 10.7%
2000 1.1% 10.9%
2001 1.01% 11.1%
2002 0.93% 11.2%
2003 0.85% 11.4%
2004 0.78% 11.5%
2005 0.71% 11.6%
2006 0.65% 11.5%
2007 0.59% 11.2%
2008 0.54% 10.9%
2009 0.5% 9.64%
2010 0.46% 9.01%
2011 0.42% 8.59%
2012 0.39% 8.26%
2013 0.36% 8.02%
2014 0.34% 7.82%
2015 0.32% 7.51%
2016 0.3% 7.18%
2017 0.28% 7.12%
2018 0.27% 6.91%
2019 0.25% 6.87%
2020 0.24% 6.68%
2021 0.23% 6.44%
2022 0.22% 6.15%
2023 0.21% 5.89%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Estonia vs Lesotho
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