Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Lesotho
Lesotho: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 96.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
96.6%
World rank
20th
of 89 countries
All-time high
98.5%
in 2016
All-time low
74.7%
in 2006
Years of data
6
2000–2024
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 96.6% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in 2024.
The figure is down 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Lesotho peaked at 98.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 74.7%, in 2006.
That places Lesotho 20th out of 89 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 92.0% | — |
| 2006 | 74.7% | -18.8% |
| 2016 | 98.5% | +31.8% |
| 2018 | 91.8% | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 97.5% | +6.3% |
| 2024 | 96.6% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 83.4% | 74.7% | 92.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 96.0% | 91.8% | 98.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 96.6% | 96.6% | 96.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 17 Philippines 97.0% compare
- 18 Palestine, State of 96.8% compare
- 19 Saudi Arabia 96.7% compare
- 21 Singapore 96.4% compare
- 22 Chile 96.3% compare
- 23 Bahrain 96.3% compare
More education data for Lesotho
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5,672 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 30,627 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 22,924 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 23,698 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 136,497 (2017)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 309,480 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.8093 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1324 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Lesotho?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Lesotho was 96.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 98.5% in 2016.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 74.7% in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- Lesotho ranks 20th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release