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Fertility & birth rates in Lesotho and Oman

Updated on by Georank team

Lesotho has an annual birth rate of 24.1 births per 1,000 people, compared to 16.8 for Oman. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 2.69 in Lesotho and 2.53 in Oman — 6.27% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -53.4% in Lesotho and by -65.3% in Oman — in 1960, it was 5.78 and 7.28, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Lesotho is ranked 56/196 by birth rate compared to 89/196 for Oman.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 27.9 in Lesotho — it's 31.8 in Oman.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 70.6 in Lesotho vs 5.99 in Oman.
  • In Lesotho, 27.8% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 21.4% in Oman.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +1.35% in Lesotho and +1.49% in Oman.

Birth rate data compared

Lesotho Oman
Fertility rate 2.69 2.53
Birth rate 24.1 16.8
Birth rate rank 56/196 89/196
Age at first childbirth 20.9 years n/a
Average age at childbearing 27.9 years 31.8 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 69.1 5.29
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 134.4 104.1
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 38.1 59.5
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 27.8% 21.4%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 65.3% 18.8%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 86.6% 99.9%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.48% 0.01%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 2.87% 0.47%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 5.54% 0.84%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 5.89% 1.04%
Population change due to births and deaths +31,115 +75,467
Natural population change rank 103/196 86/196
Natural population change rate +1.35% +1.49%
Population growth +1.12% +4.6%
Population growth rank 96/197 4/197
Life expectancy 58.2 years 80.5 years

Fertility rate in Lesotho vs Oman chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Lesotho was 2.69 children per woman in 2023, compared to 2.53 in Oman in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast
Oman
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Lesotho Oman
1960 5.78 7.28
1961 5.79 7.29
1962 5.79 7.32
1963 5.78 7.33
1964 5.77 7.37
1965 5.77 7.39
1966 5.76 7.41
1967 5.75 7.44
1968 5.73 7.46
1969 5.7 7.49
1970 5.7 7.52
1971 5.7 7.56
1972 5.69 7.59
1973 5.69 7.63
1974 5.75 7.67
1975 5.83 7.71
1976 5.87 7.74
1977 5.85 7.78
1978 5.82 7.82
1979 5.79 7.85
1980 5.75 7.89
1981 5.69 7.9
1982 5.63 7.84
1983 5.56 7.75
1984 5.48 7.64
1985 5.4 7.51
1986 5.32 7.35
1987 5.22 7.18
1988 5.1 6.95
1989 4.96 6.72
1990 4.81 6.46
1991 4.68 6.2
1992 4.54 5.92
1993 4.37 5.64
1994 4.21 5.36
1995 4.13 5.07
1996 4.06 4.79
1997 3.98 4.52
1998 3.82 4.27
1999 3.67 4.06
2000 3.61 3.85
2001 3.63 3.66
2002 3.68 3.51
2003 3.62 3.37
2004 3.51 3.2
2005 3.43 3.03
2006 3.41 2.88
2007 3.44 2.76
2008 3.39 2.76
2009 3.31 2.83
2010 3.25 2.97
2011 3.34 2.96
2012 3.3 2.93
2013 3.28 2.95
2014 3.24 2.97
2015 3.22 2.97
2016 3.18 2.95
2017 3.11 2.92
2018 3.02 2.81
2019 2.92 2.7
2020 2.85 2.64
2021 2.77 2.59
2022 2.72 2.45
2023 2.69 2.53
2024 2.66 2.51
2025 2.64 2.48
2026 2.61 2.44
2027 2.58 2.41
2028 2.55 2.37
2029 2.53 2.33
2030 2.5 2.29
2031 2.47 2.26
2032 2.45 2.22
2033 2.43 2.19
2034 2.41 2.16
2035 2.38 2.14
2036 2.37 2.11
2037 2.34 2.09
2038 2.32 2.07
2039 2.3 2.05
2040 2.29 2.03
2041 2.27 2.01
2042 2.25 2
2043 2.24 1.98
2044 2.22 1.97
2045 2.21 1.96
2046 2.19 1.95
2047 2.18 1.93
2048 2.17 1.92
2049 2.16 1.92
2050 2.14 1.91

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast
Oman
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Lesotho Oman
1960 45.1% 41.5%
1961 45.2% 41.6%
1962 45.3% 41.7%
1963 45.2% 42%
1964 44.9% 42.6%
1965 44.8% 43.2%
1966 44.9% 43.8%
1967 44.8% 44.3%
1968 44.4% 44.8%
1969 44% 45.3%
1970 43.6% 45.9%
1971 43.1% 46.4%
1972 42.7% 46.8%
1973 42.3% 47.3%
1974 41.9% 47.5%
1975 41.6% 47.5%
1976 41.4% 47.5%
1977 41.5% 47.4%
1978 41.7% 47.3%
1979 41.9% 47.2%
1980 42.1% 47.1%
1981 42.3% 47.1%
1982 42.5% 47.1%
1983 42.7% 47.2%
1984 42.8% 47.2%
1985 43% 47%
1986 42.7% 46.5%
1987 42.5% 45.9%
1988 42.7% 45.1%
1989 42.8% 44.3%
1990 42.9% 43.4%
1991 42.9% 42.5%
1992 42.8% 41.5%
1993 42.6% 40.5%
1994 42.3% 39.9%
1995 42% 39.7%
1996 41.7% 39.3%
1997 41.2% 38.7%
1998 40.7% 38%
1999 40.2% 37.3%
2000 39.6% 36.6%
2001 39.1% 35.8%
2002 38.6% 35%
2003 38.1% 34.2%
2004 37.7% 33.2%
2005 37.4% 32.1%
2006 37.1% 30.9%
2007 36.8% 29.9%
2008 36.7% 29.1%
2009 36.6% 28.4%
2010 36.5% 27.9%
2011 36.5% 25.5%
2012 36.5% 22.8%
2013 36.5% 21.9%
2014 36.6% 22.1%
2015 36.6% 22.2%
2016 36.6% 22.1%
2017 36.5% 22.3%
2018 36.3% 22.9%
2019 36.1% 24%
2020 35.8% 25.6%
2021 35.6% 26.7%
2022 35.3% 26.2%
2023 34.9% 25.2%
2024 34.5% 24.7%
2025 34.1% 24.3%
2026 33.6% 24%
2027 33.1% 23.8%
2028 32.6% 23.6%
2029 32% 23.3%
2030 31.5% 23%
2031 31% 22.7%
2032 30.5% 22.4%
2033 30.1% 22.1%
2034 29.7% 21.8%
2035 29.3% 21.6%
2036 29% 21.4%
2037 28.8% 21.3%
2038 28.5% 21.3%
2039 28.3% 21.2%
2040 28.1% 21%
2041 27.8% 20.8%
2042 27.6% 20.7%
2043 27.4% 20.5%
2044 27.1% 20.4%
2045 26.9% 20.3%
2046 26.7% 20.2%
2047 26.4% 20.1%
2048 26.2% 20.1%
2049 25.9% 20%
2050 25.7% 20%

Children aged 0-14 make up 34.5% of the population in Lesotho and 24.7% in Oman in 2024, compared to 42.9% and 43.4% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Lesotho and Oman compared.

Natural population change in Lesotho vs Oman by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +1.44% in Lesotho and +1.7% in Oman. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Lesotho
Oman

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Lesotho Oman
1960 19,981 12,034
1961 20,581 12,690
1962 21,132 13,485
1963 21,585 14,283
1964 22,116 15,205
1965 22,755 16,103
1966 23,326 17,030
1967 23,911 17,990
1968 24,490 18,962
1969 25,137 19,949
1970 25,935 20,893
1971 26,838 21,973
1972 27,841 22,968
1973 28,859 24,195
1974 30,444 25,543
1975 32,311 27,699
1976 34,117 30,032
1977 35,654 32,342
1978 37,084 35,141
1979 38,440 38,022
1980 39,617 41,109
1981 40,808 44,176
1982 41,941 46,939
1983 42,899 49,646
1984 43,785 52,253
1985 44,575 54,609
1986 45,232 55,324
1987 47,718 55,933
1988 47,158 56,142
1989 46,264 56,202
1990 45,060 56,000
1991 44,026 55,382
1992 42,579 54,471
1993 40,505 53,439
1994 38,629 52,337
1995 37,370 51,139
1996 36,228 50,362
1997 34,637 49,510
1998 30,889 48,654
1999 27,393 48,053
2000 24,786 47,208
2001 23,190 46,651
2002 22,274 46,397
2003 20,133 46,273
2004 17,271 45,651
2005 15,831 44,688
2006 15,234 43,969
2007 17,763 44,207
2008 19,349 47,146
2009 20,335 52,007
2010 21,877 57,619
2011 25,647 59,689
2012 27,592 65,572
2013 29,789 71,905
2014 30,922 76,258
2015 32,087 79,241
2016 33,390 81,350
2017 33,601 82,408
2018 33,112 79,438
2019 32,279 77,394
2020 30,721 74,224
2021 27,806 69,991
2022 30,803 67,278
2023 31,115 75,467

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Lesotho vs Oman

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 478 deaths per 100,000 live births in Lesotho, compared to 13 deaths in Oman.

Lesotho
Oman
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Lesotho Oman
1985 711 43
1986 680 40
1987 686 37
1988 680 34
1989 680 32
1990 665 29
1991 641 28
1992 601 26
1993 542 25
1994 423 23
1995 357 22
1996 319 21
1997 312 20
1998 332 20
1999 371 19
2000 413 19
2001 465 18
2002 484 18
2003 508 18
2004 499 18
2005 549 18
2006 696 18
2007 891 18
2008 1,205 18
2009 1,387 17
2010 1,311 17
2011 1,210 16
2012 1,000 16
2013 855 15
2014 707 15
2015 594 15
2016 518 14
2017 468 14
2018 491 14
2019 467 14
2020 529 32
2021 577 74
2022 477 13
2023 478 13

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 5.89% in Lesotho and 1.04% in Oman. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Lesotho
Oman

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
Lesotho Oman
1960 18.6% 37.5%
1961 18.5% 35.8%
1962 18.5% 34.2%
1963 18.6% 32.7%
1964 18.6% 31.2%
1965 18.7% 29.8%
1966 18.6% 28.4%
1967 18.5% 27.1%
1968 18.3% 25.7%
1969 18% 24.4%
1970 17.7% 23.1%
1971 17.3% 21.8%
1972 16.9% 20.5%
1973 16.5% 19.3%
1974 16% 18.1%
1975 15.5% 16.9%
1976 14.9% 15.7%
1977 14.2% 14.5%
1978 13.6% 13.4%
1979 12.9% 12.2%
1980 12.3% 11.1%
1981 11.7% 10.1%
1982 11.1% 9.1%
1983 10.6% 8.18%
1984 10.1% 7.34%
1985 9.72% 6.58%
1986 9.36% 5.9%
1987 9.06% 5.3%
1988 8.8% 4.78%
1989 8.6% 4.32%
1990 8.47% 3.91%
1991 8.43% 3.54%
1992 8.51% 3.2%
1993 8.73% 2.9%
1994 9.07% 2.64%
1995 9.45% 2.41%
1996 9.83% 2.22%
1997 10.2% 2.04%
1998 10.5% 1.89%
1999 10.7% 1.76%
2000 10.9% 1.64%
2001 11.1% 1.54%
2002 11.2% 1.45%
2003 11.4% 1.38%
2004 11.5% 1.32%
2005 11.6% 1.28%
2006 11.5% 1.24%
2007 11.2% 1.22%
2008 10.9% 1.2%
2009 9.64% 1.19%
2010 9.01% 1.17%
2011 8.59% 1.16%
2012 8.26% 1.15%
2013 8.02% 1.13%
2014 7.82% 1.12%
2015 7.51% 1.12%
2016 7.18% 1.11%
2017 7.12% 1.1%
2018 6.91% 1.09%
2019 6.87% 1.08%
2020 6.68% 1.07%
2021 6.44% 1.06%
2022 6.15% 1.05%
2023 5.89% 1.04%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Lesotho vs Oman
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