Kenya has an annual birth rate of 27.1 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 3.21 in Kenya and 2.69 in Lesotho — 16% difference.
1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -58.1% in Kenya and by -53.4% in Lesotho — in 1960, it was 7.65 and 5.78, respectively.
Birth rates facts compared:
- Kenya is ranked 43/196 by birth rate compared to 56/196 for Lesotho.
- The mean age for first-time mothers is 20.3 years in Kenya, compared to 20.9 years in Lesotho.
- The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.2 in Kenya — it's 27.9 in Lesotho.
- Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 56.3 in Kenya vs 70.6 in Lesotho.
- In Kenya, 26.4% 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 +1.99% in Kenya and +1.35% in Lesotho.
Birth rate data compared
Kenya
|
Lesotho
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Fertility rate | 3.21 | 2.69 |
| Birth rate | 27.1 | 24.1 |
| Birth rate rank | 43/196 | 56/196 |
| Age at first childbirth | 20.3 years | 20.9 years |
| Average age at childbearing | 28.2 years | 27.9 years |
| Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 52.8 | 69.1 |
| Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 | 167.9 | 134.4 |
| Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ | 46.7 | 38.1 |
| Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population | 26.4% | 27.8% |
| Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 | 56.9% | 65.3% |
| Share of births attended by skilled health staff | 70.2% | 86.6% |
| Maternal mortality per live birth | 0.15% | 0.48% |
| Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) | 2.15% | 2.87% |
| Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) | 3.47% | 5.54% |
| Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births | 3.99% | 5.89% |
| Population change due to births and deaths | +1,100,970 | +31,115 |
| Natural population change rank | 18/196 | 103/196 |
| Natural population change rate | +1.99% | +1.35% |
| Population growth | +1.98% | +1.12% |
| Population growth rank | 55/197 | 96/197 |
| Life expectancy | 64 years | 58.2 years |
Fertility rate in Kenya vs Lesotho chart
According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Kenya was 3.21 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 Kenya vs Lesotho population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.
The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.
Kenya
Factual
UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual
UN forecast
Births per woman
| Year | Fertility rate | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kenya
|
Lesotho
|
|
| 1960 | 7.65 | 5.78 |
| 1961 | 7.72 | 5.79 |
| 1962 | 7.77 | 5.79 |
| 1963 | 7.82 | 5.78 |
| 1964 | 7.87 | 5.77 |
| 1965 | 7.92 | 5.77 |
| 1966 | 7.96 | 5.76 |
| 1967 | 7.95 | 5.75 |
| 1968 | 7.95 | 5.73 |
| 1969 | 7.95 | 5.7 |
| 1970 | 7.94 | 5.7 |
| 1971 | 7.92 | 5.7 |
| 1972 | 7.89 | 5.69 |
| 1973 | 7.86 | 5.69 |
| 1974 | 7.82 | 5.75 |
| 1975 | 7.8 | 5.83 |
| 1976 | 7.77 | 5.87 |
| 1977 | 7.73 | 5.85 |
| 1978 | 7.67 | 5.82 |
| 1979 | 7.6 | 5.79 |
| 1980 | 7.53 | 5.75 |
| 1981 | 7.45 | 5.69 |
| 1982 | 7.35 | 5.63 |
| 1983 | 7.22 | 5.56 |
| 1984 | 7.08 | 5.48 |
| 1985 | 6.96 | 5.4 |
| 1986 | 6.84 | 5.32 |
| 1987 | 6.69 | 5.22 |
| 1988 | 6.52 | 5.1 |
| 1989 | 6.33 | 4.96 |
| 1990 | 6.14 | 4.81 |
| 1991 | 5.94 | 4.68 |
| 1992 | 5.74 | 4.54 |
| 1993 | 5.57 | 4.37 |
| 1994 | 5.44 | 4.21 |
| 1995 | 5.37 | 4.13 |
| 1996 | 5.31 | 4.06 |
| 1997 | 5.27 | 3.98 |
| 1998 | 5.24 | 3.82 |
| 1999 | 5.18 | 3.67 |
| 2000 | 5.14 | 3.61 |
| 2001 | 5.09 | 3.63 |
| 2002 | 5.03 | 3.68 |
| 2003 | 4.94 | 3.62 |
| 2004 | 4.86 | 3.51 |
| 2005 | 4.8 | 3.43 |
| 2006 | 4.75 | 3.41 |
| 2007 | 4.72 | 3.44 |
| 2008 | 4.66 | 3.39 |
| 2009 | 4.57 | 3.31 |
| 2010 | 4.45 | 3.25 |
| 2011 | 4.28 | 3.34 |
| 2012 | 4.12 | 3.3 |
| 2013 | 3.96 | 3.28 |
| 2014 | 3.84 | 3.24 |
| 2015 | 3.77 | 3.22 |
| 2016 | 3.69 | 3.18 |
| 2017 | 3.61 | 3.11 |
| 2018 | 3.54 | 3.02 |
| 2019 | 3.43 | 2.92 |
| 2020 | 3.36 | 2.85 |
| 2021 | 3.31 | 2.77 |
| 2022 | 3.26 | 2.72 |
| 2023 | 3.21 | 2.69 |
| 2024 | 3.17 | 2.66 |
| 2025 | 3.12 | 2.64 |
| 2026 | 3.07 | 2.61 |
| 2027 | 3.03 | 2.58 |
| 2028 | 2.99 | 2.55 |
| 2029 | 2.95 | 2.53 |
| 2030 | 2.92 | 2.5 |
| 2031 | 2.89 | 2.47 |
| 2032 | 2.85 | 2.45 |
| 2033 | 2.82 | 2.43 |
| 2034 | 2.78 | 2.41 |
| 2035 | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| 2036 | 2.72 | 2.37 |
| 2037 | 2.69 | 2.34 |
| 2038 | 2.66 | 2.32 |
| 2039 | 2.63 | 2.3 |
| 2040 | 2.61 | 2.29 |
| 2041 | 2.58 | 2.27 |
| 2042 | 2.55 | 2.25 |
| 2043 | 2.53 | 2.24 |
| 2044 | 2.5 | 2.22 |
| 2045 | 2.47 | 2.21 |
| 2046 | 2.44 | 2.19 |
| 2047 | 2.42 | 2.18 |
| 2048 | 2.4 | 2.17 |
| 2049 | 2.38 | 2.16 |
| 2050 | 2.36 | 2.14 |
Children 0-14 years as share of population
Kenya
Factual
UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual
UN forecast
| Year | Share of people 0-14 years old | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kenya
|
Lesotho
|
|
| 1960 | 48.7% | 45.1% |
| 1961 | 49.1% | 45.2% |
| 1962 | 49.4% | 45.3% |
| 1963 | 49.7% | 45.2% |
| 1964 | 49.8% | 44.9% |
| 1965 | 50.2% | 44.8% |
| 1966 | 50.6% | 44.9% |
| 1967 | 50.9% | 44.8% |
| 1968 | 51.2% | 44.4% |
| 1969 | 51.4% | 44% |
| 1970 | 51.6% | 43.6% |
| 1971 | 51.7% | 43.1% |
| 1972 | 51.9% | 42.7% |
| 1973 | 52% | 42.3% |
| 1974 | 52% | 41.9% |
| 1975 | 52% | 41.6% |
| 1976 | 52.1% | 41.4% |
| 1977 | 52% | 41.5% |
| 1978 | 51.9% | 41.7% |
| 1979 | 51.7% | 41.9% |
| 1980 | 51.5% | 42.1% |
| 1981 | 51.3% | 42.3% |
| 1982 | 51.1% | 42.5% |
| 1983 | 50.8% | 42.7% |
| 1984 | 50.6% | 42.8% |
| 1985 | 50.3% | 43% |
| 1986 | 50.1% | 42.7% |
| 1987 | 49.9% | 42.5% |
| 1988 | 49.7% | 42.7% |
| 1989 | 49.5% | 42.8% |
| 1990 | 49.2% | 42.9% |
| 1991 | 48.9% | 42.9% |
| 1992 | 48.7% | 42.8% |
| 1993 | 48.4% | 42.6% |
| 1994 | 48% | 42.3% |
| 1995 | 47.7% | 42% |
| 1996 | 47.4% | 41.7% |
| 1997 | 47.1% | 41.2% |
| 1998 | 46.8% | 40.7% |
| 1999 | 46.5% | 40.2% |
| 2000 | 46.1% | 39.6% |
| 2001 | 45.7% | 39.1% |
| 2002 | 45.3% | 38.6% |
| 2003 | 45% | 38.1% |
| 2004 | 44.6% | 37.7% |
| 2005 | 44.4% | 37.4% |
| 2006 | 44.2% | 37.1% |
| 2007 | 44% | 36.8% |
| 2008 | 43.9% | 36.7% |
| 2009 | 43.8% | 36.6% |
| 2010 | 43.6% | 36.5% |
| 2011 | 43.4% | 36.5% |
| 2012 | 43.2% | 36.5% |
| 2013 | 42.8% | 36.5% |
| 2014 | 42.4% | 36.6% |
| 2015 | 42% | 36.6% |
| 2016 | 41.5% | 36.6% |
| 2017 | 41% | 36.5% |
| 2018 | 40.5% | 36.3% |
| 2019 | 39.9% | 36.1% |
| 2020 | 39.3% | 35.8% |
| 2021 | 38.7% | 35.6% |
| 2022 | 38.1% | 35.3% |
| 2023 | 37.4% | 34.9% |
| 2024 | 36.8% | 34.5% |
| 2025 | 36.3% | 34.1% |
| 2026 | 35.7% | 33.6% |
| 2027 | 35.3% | 33.1% |
| 2028 | 34.9% | 32.6% |
| 2029 | 34.5% | 32% |
| 2030 | 34.2% | 31.5% |
| 2031 | 33.9% | 31% |
| 2032 | 33.6% | 30.5% |
| 2033 | 33.4% | 30.1% |
| 2034 | 33.2% | 29.7% |
| 2035 | 32.9% | 29.3% |
| 2036 | 32.7% | 29% |
| 2037 | 32.5% | 28.8% |
| 2038 | 32.2% | 28.5% |
| 2039 | 32% | 28.3% |
| 2040 | 31.7% | 28.1% |
| 2041 | 31.4% | 27.8% |
| 2042 | 31% | 27.6% |
| 2043 | 30.7% | 27.4% |
| 2044 | 30.4% | 27.1% |
| 2045 | 30% | 26.9% |
| 2046 | 29.7% | 26.7% |
| 2047 | 29.3% | 26.4% |
| 2048 | 28.9% | 26.2% |
| 2049 | 28.5% | 25.9% |
| 2050 | 28.2% | 25.7% |
Children aged 0-14 make up 36.8% of the population in Kenya and 34.5% in Lesotho in 2024, compared to 49.2% and 42.9% respectively in 1990.
Natural population change in Kenya vs Lesotho by year
For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +2.16% in Kenya and +1.44% in Lesotho. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.
Kenya
Lesotho
Natural population change
| Year | Population change due to births and deaths | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kenya
|
Lesotho
|
|
| 1960 | 280,032 | 19,981 |
| 1961 | 298,463 | 20,581 |
| 1962 | 315,797 | 21,132 |
| 1963 | 332,763 | 21,585 |
| 1964 | 349,322 | 22,116 |
| 1965 | 366,444 | 22,755 |
| 1966 | 382,891 | 23,326 |
| 1967 | 396,920 | 23,911 |
| 1968 | 411,948 | 24,490 |
| 1969 | 427,819 | 25,137 |
| 1970 | 443,065 | 25,935 |
| 1971 | 459,897 | 26,838 |
| 1972 | 472,557 | 27,841 |
| 1973 | 485,556 | 28,859 |
| 1974 | 500,008 | 30,444 |
| 1975 | 517,579 | 32,311 |
| 1976 | 536,740 | 34,117 |
| 1977 | 554,124 | 35,654 |
| 1978 | 574,695 | 37,084 |
| 1979 | 595,390 | 38,440 |
| 1980 | 616,390 | 39,617 |
| 1981 | 642,379 | 40,808 |
| 1982 | 663,109 | 41,941 |
| 1983 | 684,587 | 42,899 |
| 1984 | 709,639 | 43,785 |
| 1985 | 732,739 | 44,575 |
| 1986 | 755,606 | 45,232 |
| 1987 | 775,124 | 47,718 |
| 1988 | 785,652 | 47,158 |
| 1989 | 795,622 | 46,264 |
| 1990 | 789,087 | 45,060 |
| 1991 | 790,030 | 44,026 |
| 1992 | 785,018 | 42,579 |
| 1993 | 788,579 | 40,505 |
| 1994 | 792,702 | 38,629 |
| 1995 | 812,391 | 37,370 |
| 1996 | 827,326 | 36,228 |
| 1997 | 847,493 | 34,637 |
| 1998 | 875,511 | 30,889 |
| 1999 | 898,484 | 27,393 |
| 2000 | 928,357 | 24,786 |
| 2001 | 963,721 | 23,190 |
| 2002 | 992,044 | 22,274 |
| 2003 | 1,018,182 | 20,133 |
| 2004 | 1,048,590 | 17,271 |
| 2005 | 1,080,446 | 15,831 |
| 2006 | 1,113,357 | 15,234 |
| 2007 | 1,147,063 | 17,763 |
| 2008 | 1,174,818 | 19,349 |
| 2009 | 1,193,598 | 20,335 |
| 2010 | 1,199,786 | 21,877 |
| 2011 | 1,185,863 | 25,647 |
| 2012 | 1,161,548 | 27,592 |
| 2013 | 1,136,006 | 29,789 |
| 2014 | 1,123,333 | 30,922 |
| 2015 | 1,119,200 | 32,087 |
| 2016 | 1,108,801 | 33,390 |
| 2017 | 1,105,769 | 33,601 |
| 2018 | 1,097,075 | 33,112 |
| 2019 | 1,071,777 | 32,279 |
| 2020 | 1,036,253 | 30,721 |
| 2021 | 1,037,082 | 27,806 |
| 2022 | 1,092,102 | 30,803 |
| 2023 | 1,100,970 | 31,115 |
Fertility rates around the globe
Fertility rate
Maternal mortality chart: Kenya vs Lesotho
The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 149 deaths per 100,000 live births in Kenya, compared to 478 deaths in Lesotho.
Kenya
Lesotho
| Year | Maternal mortality per 100K births | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kenya
|
Lesotho
|
|
| 1985 | 1,375 | 711 |
| 1986 | 1,059 | 680 |
| 1987 | 960 | 686 |
| 1988 | 756 | 680 |
| 1989 | 663 | 680 |
| 1990 | 586 | 665 |
| 1991 | 493 | 641 |
| 1992 | 419 | 601 |
| 1993 | 363 | 542 |
| 1994 | 342 | 423 |
| 1995 | 308 | 357 |
| 1996 | 275 | 319 |
| 1997 | 253 | 312 |
| 1998 | 250 | 332 |
| 1999 | 217 | 371 |
| 2000 | 206 | 413 |
| 2001 | 188 | 465 |
| 2002 | 182 | 484 |
| 2003 | 177 | 508 |
| 2004 | 177 | 499 |
| 2005 | 178 | 549 |
| 2006 | 188 | 696 |
| 2007 | 198 | 891 |
| 2008 | 197 | 1,205 |
| 2009 | 208 | 1,387 |
| 2010 | 210 | 1,311 |
| 2011 | 209 | 1,210 |
| 2012 | 214 | 1,000 |
| 2013 | 206 | 855 |
| 2014 | 203 | 707 |
| 2015 | 203 | 594 |
| 2016 | 196 | 518 |
| 2017 | 186 | 468 |
| 2018 | 183 | 491 |
| 2019 | 176 | 467 |
| 2020 | 184 | 529 |
| 2021 | 183 | 577 |
| 2022 | 155 | 477 |
| 2023 | 149 | 478 |
Under-five mortality rates
The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 3.99% in Kenya and 5.89% in Lesotho. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.
Kenya
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 | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kenya
|
Lesotho
|
|
| 1960 | 19.6% | 18.6% |
| 1961 | 18.8% | 18.5% |
| 1962 | 18.1% | 18.5% |
| 1963 | 17.5% | 18.6% |
| 1964 | 17% | 18.6% |
| 1965 | 16.6% | 18.7% |
| 1966 | 16.3% | 18.6% |
| 1967 | 16% | 18.5% |
| 1968 | 15.7% | 18.3% |
| 1969 | 15.4% | 18% |
| 1970 | 15% | 17.7% |
| 1971 | 14.7% | 17.3% |
| 1972 | 14.3% | 16.9% |
| 1973 | 14% | 16.5% |
| 1974 | 13.5% | 16% |
| 1975 | 13.1% | 15.5% |
| 1976 | 12.7% | 14.9% |
| 1977 | 12.2% | 14.2% |
| 1978 | 11.8% | 13.6% |
| 1979 | 11.4% | 12.9% |
| 1980 | 11% | 12.3% |
| 1981 | 10.6% | 11.7% |
| 1982 | 10.3% | 11.1% |
| 1983 | 9.98% | 10.6% |
| 1984 | 9.74% | 10.1% |
| 1985 | 9.57% | 9.72% |
| 1986 | 9.49% | 9.36% |
| 1987 | 9.51% | 9.06% |
| 1988 | 9.63% | 8.8% |
| 1989 | 9.85% | 8.6% |
| 1990 | 10.1% | 8.47% |
| 1991 | 10.5% | 8.43% |
| 1992 | 10.7% | 8.51% |
| 1993 | 10.9% | 8.73% |
| 1994 | 11% | 9.07% |
| 1995 | 11% | 9.45% |
| 1996 | 10.9% | 9.83% |
| 1997 | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 1998 | 10.4% | 10.5% |
| 1999 | 10.1% | 10.7% |
| 2000 | 9.63% | 10.9% |
| 2001 | 9.16% | 11.1% |
| 2002 | 8.66% | 11.2% |
| 2003 | 8.16% | 11.4% |
| 2004 | 7.66% | 11.5% |
| 2005 | 7.15% | 11.6% |
| 2006 | 6.71% | 11.5% |
| 2007 | 6.32% | 11.2% |
| 2008 | 5.82% | 10.9% |
| 2009 | 5.54% | 9.64% |
| 2010 | 5.35% | 9.01% |
| 2011 | 5.22% | 8.59% |
| 2012 | 5.12% | 8.26% |
| 2013 | 5% | 8.02% |
| 2014 | 4.88% | 7.82% |
| 2015 | 4.74% | 7.51% |
| 2016 | 4.6% | 7.18% |
| 2017 | 4.53% | 7.12% |
| 2018 | 4.43% | 6.91% |
| 2019 | 4.33% | 6.87% |
| 2020 | 4.28% | 6.68% |
| 2021 | 4.19% | 6.44% |
| 2022 | 4.11% | 6.15% |
| 2023 | 3.99% | 5.89% |
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