Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Lesotho
Lesotho: Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age was 60.7 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Lesotho stood at 60.7 %.
That represents a change of down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Lesotho peaked at 66.9 % in 2014 and was at its lowest, 14.2 %, in 2000.
Lesotho ranks 8th of 41 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.2 % | — |
| 2004 | 36.4 % | +156.3% |
| 2009 | 52.9 % | +45.3% |
| 2014 | 66.9 % | +26.5% |
| 2018 | 59 % | -11.8% |
| 2024 | 60.7 % | +2.9% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 60.7 % is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 53.1 %, 1.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 60.7 % is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 47 %, 1.3× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.5 % | 14.2 % | 52.9 % | 3 |
| 2010s | 62.95 % | 59 % | 66.9 % | 2 |
| 2020s | 60.7 % | 60.7 % | 60.7 % | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More agriculture & rural data for Lesotho
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 5.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0649 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 70.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6715 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5533 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 5.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Lesotho?
- Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Lesotho was 60.7 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 66.9 % in 2014.
- What is the lowest prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.2 % in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age?
- Lesotho ranks 8th out of 41 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age (percent) — Value — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The Suite of Gender Indicators presents a set of indicators relevant to agrifood systems that are disaggregated by sex, with the aim of highlighting gender differences across agrifood systems. The initial set of indicators is based on those used in FAO’s 2023 Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (SWAFS) report and on the recommendations of an expert consultation held in December 2023, and covers key dimensions including economic participation, governance, agency, social norms, assets and services, education, health, and nutrition. Indicator selection was informed by expert judgment and by the availability of data with sufficient geographic and temporal coverage to enable meaningful comparisons across regions and over time. While most indicators are produced and published by FAO and other international organizations, the objective of this domain is to provide a one-stop shop for sex-disaggregated data on agrifood systems.