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Fertility & birth rates in Lesotho and Poland

Updated on by Georank team

Lesotho has an annual birth rate of 24.1 births per 1,000 people, compared to 7.4 for Poland. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 2.69 in Lesotho and 1.16 in Poland — 57% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -53.4% in Lesotho and by -61.1% in Poland — in 1960, it was 5.78 and 2.98, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Lesotho is ranked 56/196 by birth rate compared to 183/196 for Poland.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 20.9 years in Lesotho, compared to 28.4 years in Poland.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 27.9 in Lesotho — it's 30 in Poland.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 70.6 in Lesotho vs 6.19 in Poland.
  • In Lesotho, 27.8% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 22.9% in Poland.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +1.35% in Lesotho and -0.37% in Poland.

Birth rate data compared

Lesotho Poland
Fertility rate 2.69 1.16
Birth rate 24.1 7.4
Birth rate rank 56/196 183/196
Age at first childbirth 20.9 years 28.4 years
Average age at childbearing 27.9 years 30 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 69.1 5.61
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 134.4 67.4
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 38.1 11.8
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 27.8% 22.9%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 65.3% 50.7%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 86.6% 99.6%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.48% 0.002%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 2.87% 0.24%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 5.54% 0.37%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 5.89% 0.44%
Population change due to births and deaths +31,115 -135,743
Natural population change rank 103/196 190/196
Natural population change rate +1.35% -0.37%
Population growth +1.12% -0.36%
Population growth rank 96/197 179/197
Life expectancy 58.2 years 79 years

Fertility rate in Lesotho vs Poland 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 1.16 in Poland in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast
Poland
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Lesotho Poland
1960 5.78 2.98
1961 5.79 2.83
1962 5.79 2.72
1963 5.78 2.7
1964 5.77 2.57
1965 5.77 2.52
1966 5.76 2.34
1967 5.75 2.33
1968 5.73 2.24
1969 5.7 2.2
1970 5.7 2.2
1971 5.7 2.25
1972 5.69 2.24
1973 5.69 2.26
1974 5.75 2.26
1975 5.83 2.27
1976 5.87 2.3
1977 5.85 2.23
1978 5.82 2.21
1979 5.79 2.28
1980 5.75 2.28
1981 5.69 2.24
1982 5.63 2.34
1983 5.56 2.42
1984 5.48 2.37
1985 5.4 2.33
1986 5.32 2.22
1987 5.22 2.15
1988 5.1 2.13
1989 4.96 2.08
1990 4.81 2.06
1991 4.68 2.07
1992 4.54 1.95
1993 4.37 1.87
1994 4.21 1.81
1995 4.13 1.62
1996 4.06 1.59
1997 3.98 1.51
1998 3.82 1.44
1999 3.67 1.37
2000 3.61 1.37
2001 3.63 1.31
2002 3.68 1.25
2003 3.62 1.22
2004 3.51 1.23
2005 3.43 1.24
2006 3.41 1.27
2007 3.44 1.31
2008 3.39 1.39
2009 3.31 1.4
2010 3.25 1.41
2011 3.34 1.33
2012 3.3 1.33
2013 3.28 1.29
2014 3.24 1.32
2015 3.22 1.32
2016 3.18 1.39
2017 3.11 1.48
2018 3.02 1.46
2019 2.92 1.44
2020 2.85 1.39
2021 2.77 1.33
2022 2.72 1.29
2023 2.69 1.16
2024 2.66 1.16
2025 2.64 1.17
2026 2.61 1.17
2027 2.58 1.17
2028 2.55 1.18
2029 2.53 1.18
2030 2.5 1.19
2031 2.47 1.19
2032 2.45 1.19
2033 2.43 1.2
2034 2.41 1.2
2035 2.38 1.21
2036 2.37 1.21
2037 2.34 1.21
2038 2.32 1.21
2039 2.3 1.22
2040 2.29 1.22
2041 2.27 1.22
2042 2.25 1.22
2043 2.24 1.23
2044 2.22 1.23
2045 2.21 1.24
2046 2.19 1.24
2047 2.18 1.24
2048 2.17 1.24
2049 2.16 1.24
2050 2.14 1.25

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast
Poland
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Lesotho Poland
1960 45.1% 33.4%
1961 45.2% 33.4%
1962 45.3% 33%
1963 45.2% 32.5%
1964 44.9% 31.9%
1965 44.8% 31.1%
1966 44.9% 30.3%
1967 44.8% 29.5%
1968 44.4% 28.6%
1969 44% 27.8%
1970 43.6% 26.9%
1971 43.1% 26.1%
1972 42.7% 25.4%
1973 42.3% 24.8%
1974 41.9% 24.3%
1975 41.6% 24%
1976 41.4% 24%
1977 41.5% 24%
1978 41.7% 24%
1979 41.9% 24.1%
1980 42.1% 24.3%
1981 42.3% 24.5%
1982 42.5% 24.7%
1983 42.7% 25%
1984 42.8% 25.3%
1985 43% 25.5%
1986 42.7% 25.6%
1987 42.5% 25.6%
1988 42.7% 25.5%
1989 42.8% 25.3%
1990 42.9% 25%
1991 42.9% 24.6%
1992 42.8% 24.3%
1993 42.6% 23.9%
1994 42.3% 23.4%
1995 42% 22.8%
1996 41.7% 22.2%
1997 41.2% 21.6%
1998 40.7% 20.9%
1999 40.2% 20.2%
2000 39.6% 19.4%
2001 39.1% 18.7%
2002 38.6% 18.1%
2003 38.1% 17.5%
2004 37.7% 17%
2005 37.4% 16.5%
2006 37.1% 16%
2007 36.8% 15.7%
2008 36.7% 15.4%
2009 36.6% 15.2%
2010 36.5% 15.1%
2011 36.5% 15.2%
2012 36.5% 15.1%
2013 36.5% 15.1%
2014 36.6% 15.1%
2015 36.6% 15.1%
2016 36.6% 15.1%
2017 36.5% 15.2%
2018 36.3% 15.3%
2019 36.1% 15.4%
2020 35.8% 15.5%
2021 35.6% 15.5%
2022 35.3% 15.3%
2023 34.9% 15.1%
2024 34.5% 14.8%
2025 34.1% 14.5%
2026 33.6% 14.1%
2027 33.1% 13.8%
2028 32.6% 13.5%
2029 32% 13.2%
2030 31.5% 13%
2031 31% 12.7%
2032 30.5% 12.4%
2033 30.1% 12.1%
2034 29.7% 11.8%
2035 29.3% 11.5%
2036 29% 11.3%
2037 28.8% 11.2%
2038 28.5% 11.1%
2039 28.3% 11.1%
2040 28.1% 11.1%
2041 27.8% 11%
2042 27.6% 11.1%
2043 27.4% 11.1%
2044 27.1% 11.1%
2045 26.9% 11.2%
2046 26.7% 11.3%
2047 26.4% 11.3%
2048 26.2% 11.4%
2049 25.9% 11.5%
2050 25.7% 11.5%

Children aged 0-14 make up 34.5% of the population in Lesotho and 14.8% in Poland in 2024, compared to 42.9% and 25% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Lesotho and Poland compared.

Natural population change in Lesotho vs Poland by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +1.44% in Lesotho and -0.18% in Poland. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Lesotho
Poland

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Lesotho Poland
1960 19,981 444,562
1961 20,581 398,521
1962 21,132 360,671
1963 21,585 359,330
1964 22,116 326,965
1965 22,755 314,450
1966 23,326 297,801
1967 23,911 275,089
1968 24,490 280,963
1969 25,137 270,151
1970 25,935 280,913
1971 26,838 278,660
1972 27,841 314,028
1973 28,859 320,229
1974 30,444 346,893
1975 32,311 350,356
1976 34,117 367,612
1977 35,654 353,828
1978 37,084 339,166
1979 38,440 366,571
1980 39,617 348,627
1981 40,808 351,806
1982 41,941 369,551
1983 42,899 373,032
1984 43,785 332,137
1985 44,575 297,615
1986 45,232 258,448
1987 47,718 226,008
1988 47,158 215,599
1989 46,264 182,215
1990 45,060 160,066
1991 44,026 141,511
1992 42,579 118,928
1993 40,505 103,846
1994 38,629 96,357
1995 37,370 46,314
1996 36,228 42,487
1997 34,637 34,785
1998 30,889 19,332
1999 27,393 0
2000 24,786 11,478
2001 23,190 3,825
2002 22,274 -3,823
2003 20,133 -15,281
2004 17,271 -7,637
2005 15,831 -3,817
2006 15,234 3,814
2007 17,763 11,436
2008 19,349 34,313
2009 20,335 30,521
2010 21,877 38,043
2011 25,647 11,419
2012 27,592 0
2013 29,789 -19,020
2014 30,922 0
2015 32,087 -26,590
2016 33,390 -3,797
2017 33,601 0
2018 33,112 -26,582
2019 32,279 -34,169
2020 30,721 -120,050
2021 27,806 -184,907
2022 30,803 -143,605
2023 31,115 -135,743

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Lesotho vs Poland

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 2 deaths in Poland.

Lesotho
Poland
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Lesotho Poland
1985 711 19
1986 680 19
1987 686 18
1988 680 18
1989 680 18
1990 665 18
1991 641 18
1992 601 16
1993 542 15
1994 423 14
1995 357 12
1996 319 11
1997 312 10
1998 332 9
1999 371 8
2000 413 7
2001 465 6
2002 484 5
2003 508 5
2004 499 4
2005 549 4
2006 696 4
2007 891 3
2008 1,205 3
2009 1,387 3
2010 1,311 3
2011 1,210 2
2012 1,000 2
2013 855 2
2014 707 2
2015 594 2
2016 518 2
2017 468 2
2018 491 2
2019 467 2
2020 529 3
2021 577 2
2022 477 2
2023 478 2

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 5.89% in Lesotho and 0.44% in Poland. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Lesotho
Poland

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 Poland
1960 18.6% 6.51%
1961 18.5% 6.02%
1962 18.5% 5.6%
1963 18.6% 5.23%
1964 18.6% 4.89%
1965 18.7% 4.57%
1966 18.6% 4.29%
1967 18.5% 4.06%
1968 18.3% 3.89%
1969 18% 3.75%
1970 17.7% 3.59%
1971 17.3% 3.42%
1972 16.9% 3.24%
1973 16.5% 3.06%
1974 16% 2.9%
1975 15.5% 2.79%
1976 14.9% 2.7%
1977 14.2% 2.62%
1978 13.6% 2.54%
1979 12.9% 2.47%
1980 12.3% 2.4%
1981 11.7% 2.33%
1982 11.1% 2.26%
1983 10.6% 2.19%
1984 10.1% 2.11%
1985 9.72% 2.03%
1986 9.36% 1.96%
1987 9.06% 1.89%
1988 8.8% 1.84%
1989 8.6% 1.79%
1990 8.47% 1.74%
1991 8.43% 1.69%
1992 8.51% 1.65%
1993 8.73% 1.6%
1994 9.07% 1.53%
1995 9.45% 1.43%
1996 9.83% 1.32%
1997 10.2% 1.2%
1998 10.5% 1.09%
1999 10.7% 1%
2000 10.9% 0.93%
2001 11.1% 0.88%
2002 11.2% 0.84%
2003 11.4% 0.81%
2004 11.5% 0.78%
2005 11.6% 0.76%
2006 11.5% 0.73%
2007 11.2% 0.7%
2008 10.9% 0.67%
2009 9.64% 0.63%
2010 9.01% 0.6%
2011 8.59% 0.57%
2012 8.26% 0.54%
2013 8.02% 0.52%
2014 7.82% 0.5%
2015 7.51% 0.49%
2016 7.18% 0.48%
2017 7.12% 0.46%
2018 6.91% 0.45%
2019 6.87% 0.44%
2020 6.68% 0.44%
2021 6.44% 0.44%
2022 6.15% 0.44%
2023 5.89% 0.44%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Lesotho vs Poland
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