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Fertility & birth rates in Fiji and Lesotho

Updated on by Georank team

Fiji has an annual birth rate of 18 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 2.28 in Fiji and 2.69 in Lesotho — 18.1% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -64.2% in Fiji and by -53.4% in Lesotho — in 1960, it was 6.36 and 5.78, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Fiji is ranked 85/196 by birth rate compared to 56/196 for Lesotho.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.8 in Fiji — it's 27.9 in Lesotho.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 21.2 in Fiji vs 70.6 in Lesotho.
  • In Fiji, 26.5% 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 +0.87% in Fiji and +1.35% in Lesotho.

Birth rate data compared

Fiji Lesotho
Fertility rate 2.28 2.69
Birth rate 18 24.1
Birth rate rank 85/196 56/196
Age at first childbirth n/a 20.9 years
Average age at childbearing 28.8 years 27.9 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 20.7 69.1
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 125.1 134.4
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 27.2 38.1
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 26.5% 27.8%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 31.2% 65.3%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.8% 86.6%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.03% 0.48%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.49% 2.87%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.38% 5.54%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 2.91% 5.89%
Population change due to births and deaths +8,078 +31,115
Natural population change rank 119/196 103/196
Natural population change rate +0.87% +1.35%
Population growth +0.5% +1.12%
Population growth rank 134/197 96/197
Life expectancy 67.6 years 58.2 years

Fertility rate in Fiji vs Lesotho chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Fiji was 2.28 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 Fiji vs Lesotho population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Fiji
Factual

UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Fiji Lesotho
1960 6.36 5.78
1961 6.28 5.79
1962 6.2 5.79
1963 6.09 5.78
1964 5.96 5.77
1965 5.76 5.77
1966 5.55 5.76
1967 5.33 5.75
1968 5.11 5.73
1969 4.91 5.7
1970 4.71 5.7
1971 4.51 5.7
1972 4.32 5.69
1973 4.16 5.69
1974 4.07 5.75
1975 4.1 5.83
1976 4.12 5.87
1977 4.11 5.85
1978 4.1 5.82
1979 4.08 5.79
1980 4.04 5.75
1981 3.99 5.69
1982 3.94 5.63
1983 3.88 5.56
1984 3.8 5.48
1985 3.66 5.4
1986 3.54 5.32
1987 3.48 5.22
1988 3.43 5.1
1989 3.4 4.96
1990 3.39 4.81
1991 3.37 4.68
1992 3.33 4.54
1993 3.29 4.37
1994 3.26 4.21
1995 3.25 4.13
1996 3.25 4.06
1997 3.19 3.98
1998 3.12 3.82
1999 3.05 3.67
2000 2.99 3.61
2001 2.97 3.63
2002 2.97 3.68
2003 2.96 3.62
2004 2.94 3.51
2005 2.92 3.43
2006 2.91 3.41
2007 2.87 3.44
2008 2.82 3.39
2009 2.76 3.31
2010 2.7 3.25
2011 2.63 3.34
2012 2.61 3.3
2013 2.6 3.28
2014 2.59 3.24
2015 2.57 3.22
2016 2.52 3.18
2017 2.46 3.11
2018 2.42 3.02
2019 2.38 2.92
2020 2.36 2.85
2021 2.33 2.77
2022 2.31 2.72
2023 2.28 2.69
2024 2.27 2.66
2025 2.25 2.64
2026 2.23 2.61
2027 2.21 2.58
2028 2.2 2.55
2029 2.18 2.53
2030 2.16 2.5
2031 2.15 2.47
2032 2.13 2.45
2033 2.12 2.43
2034 2.1 2.41
2035 2.09 2.38
2036 2.07 2.37
2037 2.06 2.34
2038 2.05 2.32
2039 2.04 2.3
2040 2.03 2.29
2041 2.01 2.27
2042 2.01 2.25
2043 1.99 2.24
2044 1.98 2.22
2045 1.97 2.21
2046 1.96 2.19
2047 1.95 2.18
2048 1.94 2.17
2049 1.94 2.16
2050 1.93 2.14

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Fiji
Factual

UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Fiji Lesotho
1960 46.4% 45.1%
1961 46.5% 45.2%
1962 46.5% 45.3%
1963 46.5% 45.2%
1964 46.4% 44.9%
1965 46.4% 44.8%
1966 46.3% 44.9%
1967 46.1% 44.8%
1968 45.9% 44.4%
1969 45.6% 44%
1970 45.2% 43.6%
1971 44.7% 43.1%
1972 44.2% 42.7%
1973 43.5% 42.3%
1974 42.8% 41.9%
1975 42.2% 41.6%
1976 41.5% 41.4%
1977 40.9% 41.5%
1978 40.4% 41.7%
1979 40% 41.9%
1980 39.6% 42.1%
1981 39.3% 42.3%
1982 39.1% 42.5%
1983 39% 42.7%
1984 38.9% 42.8%
1985 38.9% 43%
1986 38.8% 42.7%
1987 38.7% 42.5%
1988 38.7% 42.7%
1989 38.7% 42.8%
1990 38.7% 42.9%
1991 38.5% 42.9%
1992 38.2% 42.8%
1993 37.9% 42.6%
1994 37.5% 42.3%
1995 37.1% 42%
1996 36.6% 41.7%
1997 36.1% 41.2%
1998 35.5% 40.7%
1999 34.9% 40.2%
2000 34.3% 39.6%
2001 33.8% 39.1%
2002 33.4% 38.6%
2003 33% 38.1%
2004 32.6% 37.7%
2005 32.2% 37.4%
2006 31.9% 37.1%
2007 31.6% 36.8%
2008 31.3% 36.7%
2009 31% 36.6%
2010 30.8% 36.5%
2011 30.5% 36.5%
2012 30.2% 36.5%
2013 30% 36.5%
2014 29.8% 36.6%
2015 29.6% 36.6%
2016 29.5% 36.6%
2017 29.2% 36.5%
2018 28.9% 36.3%
2019 28.6% 36.1%
2020 28.3% 35.8%
2021 28% 35.6%
2022 27.7% 35.3%
2023 27.4% 34.9%
2024 27.1% 34.5%
2025 26.8% 34.1%
2026 26.6% 33.6%
2027 26.3% 33.1%
2028 26% 32.6%
2029 25.7% 32%
2030 25.4% 31.5%
2031 25% 31%
2032 24.7% 30.5%
2033 24.5% 30.1%
2034 24.2% 29.7%
2035 24% 29.3%
2036 23.8% 29%
2037 23.6% 28.8%
2038 23.5% 28.5%
2039 23.3% 28.3%
2040 23.2% 28.1%
2041 23% 27.8%
2042 22.9% 27.6%
2043 22.7% 27.4%
2044 22.6% 27.1%
2045 22.4% 26.9%
2046 22.3% 26.7%
2047 22.1% 26.4%
2048 21.9% 26.2%
2049 21.8% 25.9%
2050 21.6% 25.7%

Children aged 0-14 make up 27.1% of the population in Fiji and 34.5% in Lesotho in 2024, compared to 38.7% and 42.9% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Fiji and Lesotho compared.

Natural population change in Fiji vs Lesotho by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +1.03% in Fiji and +1.44% in Lesotho. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Fiji
Lesotho

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Fiji Lesotho
1960 13,313 19,981
1961 13,653 20,581
1962 14,429 21,132
1963 14,774 21,585
1964 14,979 22,116
1965 15,166 22,755
1966 15,111 23,326
1967 14,861 23,911
1968 14,831 24,490
1969 14,669 25,137
1970 14,538 25,935
1971 14,313 26,838
1972 13,905 27,841
1973 13,383 28,859
1974 13,557 30,444
1975 14,272 32,311
1976 14,933 34,117
1977 15,532 35,654
1978 16,196 37,084
1979 16,450 38,440
1980 16,907 39,617
1981 17,282 40,808
1982 17,681 41,941
1983 18,237 42,899
1984 18,499 43,785
1985 18,469 44,575
1986 18,024 45,232
1987 17,987 47,718
1988 18,063 47,158
1989 18,007 46,264
1990 17,748 45,060
1991 17,617 44,026
1992 17,170 42,579
1993 16,751 40,505
1994 16,424 38,629
1995 16,273 37,370
1996 16,163 36,228
1997 15,750 34,637
1998 15,464 30,889
1999 15,229 27,393
2000 14,724 24,786
2001 14,720 23,190
2002 14,468 22,274
2003 14,527 20,133
2004 14,526 17,271
2005 14,503 15,831
2006 14,555 15,234
2007 14,349 17,763
2008 14,000 19,349
2009 13,540 20,335
2010 13,227 21,877
2011 12,657 25,647
2012 11,716 27,592
2013 11,972 29,789
2014 11,680 30,922
2015 11,213 32,087
2016 10,807 33,390
2017 10,413 33,601
2018 9,779 33,112
2019 9,271 32,279
2020 8,730 30,721
2021 6,777 27,806
2022 8,223 30,803
2023 8,078 31,115

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Fiji vs Lesotho

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 30 deaths per 100,000 live births in Fiji, compared to 478 deaths in Lesotho.

Fiji
Lesotho
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Fiji Lesotho
1985 78 711
1986 76 680
1987 74 686
1988 71 680
1989 70 680
1990 70 665
1991 67 641
1992 64 601
1993 62 542
1994 58 423
1995 55 357
1996 53 319
1997 51 312
1998 49 332
1999 46 371
2000 47 413
2001 46 465
2002 48 484
2003 47 508
2004 46 499
2005 44 549
2006 43 696
2007 43 891
2008 42 1,205
2009 41 1,387
2010 40 1,311
2011 39 1,210
2012 42 1,000
2013 40 855
2014 38 707
2015 37 594
2016 38 518
2017 34 468
2018 35 491
2019 34 467
2020 34 529
2021 68 577
2022 32 477
2023 30 478

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 2.91% in Fiji and 5.89% in Lesotho. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Fiji
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
Fiji Lesotho
1960 7.89% 18.6%
1961 7.53% 18.5%
1962 7.21% 18.5%
1963 6.9% 18.6%
1964 6.61% 18.6%
1965 6.35% 18.7%
1966 6.14% 18.6%
1967 5.97% 18.5%
1968 5.84% 18.3%
1969 5.75% 18%
1970 5.69% 17.7%
1971 5.66% 17.3%
1972 5.63% 16.9%
1973 5.59% 16.5%
1974 5.52% 16%
1975 5.41% 15.5%
1976 5.27% 14.9%
1977 5.1% 14.2%
1978 4.9% 13.6%
1979 4.68% 12.9%
1980 4.46% 12.3%
1981 4.24% 11.7%
1982 4.03% 11.1%
1983 3.84% 10.6%
1984 3.67% 10.1%
1985 3.51% 9.72%
1986 3.37% 9.36%
1987 3.24% 9.06%
1988 3.12% 8.8%
1989 3% 8.6%
1990 2.89% 8.47%
1991 2.78% 8.43%
1992 2.68% 8.51%
1993 2.6% 8.73%
1994 2.52% 9.07%
1995 2.45% 9.45%
1996 2.39% 9.83%
1997 2.35% 10.2%
1998 2.31% 10.5%
1999 2.28% 10.7%
2000 2.27% 10.9%
2001 2.26% 11.1%
2002 2.27% 11.2%
2003 2.28% 11.4%
2004 2.31% 11.5%
2005 2.33% 11.6%
2006 2.35% 11.5%
2007 2.35% 11.2%
2008 2.32% 10.9%
2009 2.28% 9.64%
2010 2.22% 9.01%
2011 2.16% 8.59%
2012 2.1% 8.26%
2013 2.07% 8.02%
2014 2.06% 7.82%
2015 2.09% 7.51%
2016 2.16% 7.18%
2017 2.27% 7.12%
2018 2.41% 6.91%
2019 2.57% 6.87%
2020 2.72% 6.68%
2021 2.83% 6.44%
2022 2.89% 6.15%
2023 2.91% 5.89%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Fiji vs Lesotho
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