Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Lesotho
Lesotho: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male was 83.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
83.2%
World rank
62nd
of 88 countries
All-time high
95.9%
in 2016
All-time low
56.6%
in 2006
Years of data
6
2000–2024
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 83.2% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Lesotho peaked at 95.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 56.6%, in 2006.
That places Lesotho 62nd out of 88 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 80.0% | — |
| 2006 | 56.6% | -29.2% |
| 2016 | 95.9% | +69.5% |
| 2018 | 80.2% | -16.4% |
| 2019 | 87.6% | +9.1% |
| 2024 | 83.2% | -5.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 68.3% | 56.6% | 80.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 87.9% | 80.2% | 95.9% | 3 |
| 2020s | 83.2% | 83.2% | 83.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 59 Egypt 85.3% compare
- 60 Lao People's Democratic Republic 85.1% compare
- 61 Tanzania, United Republic of 84.2% compare
- 63 Togo 82.8% compare
- 64 Bangladesh 81.4% compare
- 65 Ghana 81.3% 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, male in Lesotho?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Lesotho was 83.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 95.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.6% in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male?
- Lesotho ranks 62nd out of 88 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. 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, male (%). 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