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Fertility & birth rates in Iran and Lesotho

Updated on by Georank team

Iran has an annual birth rate of 13 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 1.7 in Iran and 2.69 in Lesotho — 58.9% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -77.5% in Iran and by -53.4% in Lesotho — in 1960, it was 7.52 and 5.78, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Iran is ranked 108/196 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 Iran — it's 27.9 in Lesotho.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 26.2 in Iran vs 70.6 in Lesotho.
  • In Iran, 26.8% 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 +0.83% in Iran and +1.35% in Lesotho.

Birth rate data compared

Iran Lesotho
Fertility rate 1.7 2.69
Birth rate 13 24.1
Birth rate rank 108/196 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 25.3 69.1
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 84.7 134.4
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 20.7 38.1
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 26.8% 27.8%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 57% 65.3%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99% 86.6%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.02% 0.48%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.74% 2.87%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 1.07% 5.54%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 1.18% 5.89%
Population change due to births and deaths +750,150 +31,115
Natural population change rank 25/196 103/196
Natural population change rate +0.83% +1.35%
Population growth +1.06% +1.12%
Population growth rank 100/197 96/197
Life expectancy 78.1 years 58.2 years

Fertility rate in Iran vs Lesotho chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Iran was 1.7 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 Iran vs Lesotho population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Iran
Factual

UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Iran Lesotho
1960 7.52 5.78
1961 7.46 5.79
1962 7.4 5.79
1963 7.32 5.78
1964 7.24 5.77
1965 7.22 5.77
1966 7.21 5.76
1967 7.19 5.75
1968 7.12 5.73
1969 7.01 5.7
1970 6.8 5.7
1971 6.55 5.7
1972 6.26 5.69
1973 6.06 5.69
1974 5.97 5.75
1975 5.95 5.83
1976 6.07 5.87
1977 6.18 5.85
1978 6.34 5.82
1979 6.55 5.79
1980 6.63 5.75
1981 6.62 5.69
1982 6.59 5.63
1983 6.53 5.56
1984 6.43 5.48
1985 6.24 5.4
1986 6.01 5.32
1987 5.72 5.22
1988 5.43 5.1
1989 5.17 4.96
1990 4.93 4.81
1991 4.57 4.68
1992 4.1 4.54
1993 3.67 4.37
1994 3.24 4.21
1995 2.85 4.13
1996 2.54 4.06
1997 2.32 3.98
1998 2.19 3.82
1999 2.09 3.67
2000 2 3.61
2001 1.92 3.63
2002 1.84 3.68
2003 1.8 3.62
2004 1.78 3.51
2005 1.76 3.43
2006 1.76 3.41
2007 1.75 3.44
2008 1.74 3.39
2009 1.74 3.31
2010 1.75 3.25
2011 1.79 3.34
2012 1.85 3.3
2013 1.91 3.28
2014 1.98 3.24
2015 2.02 3.22
2016 2.05 3.18
2017 2.02 3.11
2018 1.92 3.02
2019 1.77 2.92
2020 1.7 2.85
2021 1.71 2.77
2022 1.7 2.72
2023 1.7 2.69
2024 1.68 2.66
2025 1.67 2.64
2026 1.66 2.61
2027 1.65 2.58
2028 1.64 2.55
2029 1.64 2.53
2030 1.63 2.5
2031 1.63 2.47
2032 1.63 2.45
2033 1.63 2.43
2034 1.63 2.41
2035 1.63 2.38
2036 1.63 2.37
2037 1.63 2.34
2038 1.63 2.32
2039 1.63 2.3
2040 1.63 2.29
2041 1.63 2.27
2042 1.63 2.25
2043 1.63 2.24
2044 1.63 2.22
2045 1.63 2.21
2046 1.63 2.19
2047 1.63 2.18
2048 1.63 2.17
2049 1.63 2.16
2050 1.63 2.14

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Iran
Factual

UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Iran Lesotho
1960 43.5% 45.1%
1961 44.1% 45.2%
1962 44.6% 45.3%
1963 44.9% 45.2%
1964 45% 44.9%
1965 45% 44.8%
1966 44.9% 44.9%
1967 44.8% 44.8%
1968 44.8% 44.4%
1969 44.7% 44%
1970 44.6% 43.6%
1971 44.4% 43.1%
1972 44.2% 42.7%
1973 43.8% 42.3%
1974 43.5% 41.9%
1975 43.2% 41.6%
1976 43% 41.4%
1977 42.9% 41.5%
1978 43% 41.7%
1979 43.1% 41.9%
1980 43.3% 42.1%
1981 42.9% 42.3%
1982 42.7% 42.5%
1983 43% 42.7%
1984 43.3% 42.8%
1985 43.5% 43%
1986 43.7% 42.7%
1987 43.9% 42.5%
1988 44% 42.7%
1989 44.2% 42.8%
1990 44.1% 42.9%
1991 43.9% 42.9%
1992 43.6% 42.8%
1993 43.6% 42.6%
1994 43.2% 42.3%
1995 42.1% 42%
1996 40.7% 41.7%
1997 39.1% 41.2%
1998 37.3% 40.7%
1999 35.4% 40.2%
2000 33.6% 39.6%
2001 31.7% 39.1%
2002 30.1% 38.6%
2003 28.7% 38.1%
2004 27.4% 37.7%
2005 26.2% 37.4%
2006 25.3% 37.1%
2007 24.6% 36.8%
2008 24% 36.7%
2009 23.7% 36.6%
2010 23.4% 36.5%
2011 23.3% 36.5%
2012 23.3% 36.5%
2013 23.3% 36.5%
2014 23.4% 36.6%
2015 23.6% 36.6%
2016 23.8% 36.6%
2017 23.9% 36.5%
2018 24% 36.3%
2019 23.9% 36.1%
2020 23.8% 35.8%
2021 23.6% 35.6%
2022 23.2% 35.3%
2023 22.8% 34.9%
2024 22.4% 34.5%
2025 22% 34.1%
2026 21.6% 33.6%
2027 21.1% 33.1%
2028 20.5% 32.6%
2029 19.9% 32%
2030 19.3% 31.5%
2031 18.6% 31%
2032 18% 30.5%
2033 17.4% 30.1%
2034 17% 29.7%
2035 16.7% 29.3%
2036 16.4% 29%
2037 16.2% 28.8%
2038 15.9% 28.5%
2039 15.8% 28.3%
2040 15.6% 28.1%
2041 15.5% 27.8%
2042 15.4% 27.6%
2043 15.3% 27.4%
2044 15.3% 27.1%
2045 15.2% 26.9%
2046 15.2% 26.7%
2047 15.2% 26.4%
2048 15.2% 26.2%
2049 15.1% 25.9%
2050 15.1% 25.7%

Children aged 0-14 make up 22.4% of the population in Iran and 34.5% in Lesotho in 2024, compared to 44.1% and 42.9% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Iran and Lesotho compared.

Natural population change in Iran vs Lesotho by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +1.1% in Iran and +1.44% in Lesotho. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Iran
Lesotho

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Iran Lesotho
1960 584,060 19,981
1961 594,674 20,581
1962 595,538 21,132
1963 620,126 21,585
1964 635,589 22,116
1965 663,029 22,755
1966 695,040 23,326
1967 727,276 23,911
1968 743,992 24,490
1969 780,660 25,137
1970 794,612 25,935
1971 805,830 26,838
1972 804,043 27,841
1973 831,880 28,859
1974 873,369 30,444
1975 929,481 32,311
1976 1,013,347 34,117
1977 1,091,542 35,654
1978 1,156,974 37,084
1979 1,294,306 38,440
1980 1,361,293 39,617
1981 1,376,830 40,808
1982 1,514,240 41,941
1983 1,573,612 42,899
1984 1,653,051 43,785
1985 1,661,750 44,575
1986 1,659,289 45,232
1987 1,639,644 47,718
1988 1,614,512 47,158
1989 1,609,739 46,264
1990 1,530,434 45,060
1991 1,495,594 44,026
1992 1,365,466 42,579
1993 1,219,658 40,505
1994 1,008,076 38,629
1995 879,648 37,370
1996 784,508 36,228
1997 726,574 34,637
1998 717,655 30,889
1999 723,237 27,393
2000 731,203 24,786
2001 743,658 23,190
2002 752,205 22,274
2003 732,600 20,133
2004 801,203 17,271
2005 837,305 15,831
2006 884,529 15,234
2007 919,254 17,763
2008 940,983 19,349
2009 958,322 20,335
2010 980,380 21,877
2011 1,023,925 25,647
2012 1,073,804 27,592
2013 1,119,533 29,789
2014 1,158,552 30,922
2015 1,178,317 32,087
2016 1,186,949 33,390
2017 1,140,549 33,601
2018 1,035,052 33,112
2019 893,063 32,279
2020 663,978 30,721
2021 645,725 27,806
2022 753,525 30,803
2023 750,150 31,115

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Iran vs Lesotho

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 16 deaths per 100,000 live births in Iran, compared to 478 deaths in Lesotho.

Iran
Lesotho
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Iran Lesotho
1985 160 711
1986 148 680
1987 136 686
1988 126 680
1989 113 680
1990 107 665
1991 94 641
1992 86 601
1993 80 542
1994 71 423
1995 65 357
1996 59 319
1997 55 312
1998 50 332
1999 46 371
2000 43 413
2001 40 465
2002 38 484
2003 37 508
2004 34 499
2005 33 549
2006 32 696
2007 31 891
2008 30 1,205
2009 28 1,387
2010 27 1,311
2011 26 1,210
2012 25 1,000
2013 24 855
2014 23 707
2015 22 594
2016 21 518
2017 20 468
2018 19 491
2019 18 467
2020 34 529
2021 51 577
2022 21 477
2023 16 478

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 1.18% in Iran and 5.89% in Lesotho. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Iran
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
Iran 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 18.9% 17.3%
1972 18% 16.9%
1973 17.1% 16.5%
1974 16.2% 16%
1975 15.3% 15.5%
1976 14.4% 14.9%
1977 13.5% 14.2%
1978 12.6% 13.6%
1979 11.7% 12.9%
1980 10.8% 12.3%
1981 10% 11.7%
1982 9.3% 11.1%
1983 8.67% 10.6%
1984 8.13% 10.1%
1985 7.64% 9.72%
1986 7.2% 9.36%
1987 6.8% 9.06%
1988 6.42% 8.8%
1989 6.07% 8.6%
1990 5.76% 8.47%
1991 5.48% 8.43%
1992 5.22% 8.51%
1993 5% 8.73%
1994 4.79% 9.07%
1995 4.59% 9.45%
1996 4.4% 9.83%
1997 4.21% 10.2%
1998 4.02% 10.5%
1999 3.83% 10.7%
2000 3.63% 10.9%
2001 3.42% 11.1%
2002 3.22% 11.2%
2003 3.02% 11.4%
2004 2.83% 11.5%
2005 2.65% 11.6%
2006 2.48% 11.5%
2007 2.32% 11.2%
2008 2.17% 10.9%
2009 2.04% 9.64%
2010 1.93% 9.01%
2011 1.84% 8.59%
2012 1.75% 8.26%
2013 1.68% 8.02%
2014 1.61% 7.82%
2015 1.55% 7.51%
2016 1.5% 7.18%
2017 1.45% 7.12%
2018 1.39% 6.91%
2019 1.35% 6.87%
2020 1.3% 6.68%
2021 1.26% 6.44%
2022 1.22% 6.15%
2023 1.18% 5.89%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Iran vs Lesotho
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