Children out of school, male in Lesotho
Lesotho: Children out of school, male was 32.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Children out of school, male in Lesotho, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of male primary school age.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 32.6% for children out of school, male in 2024.
The figure is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 88.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, children out of school, male in Lesotho peaked at 55.0% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 15.7%, in 2017.
That places Lesotho 14th out of 177 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Children out of school, male in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of male primary school age | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 52.9% | — |
| 1972 | 55.0% | +4.0% |
| 1973 | 53.7% | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 46.3% | -13.7% |
| 1976 | 44.9% | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 43.9% | -2.2% |
| 1978 | 49.0% | +11.5% |
| 1979 | 48.1% | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 47.3% | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 46.6% | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 42.7% | -8.3% |
| 1983 | 43.4% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 43.1% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 41.5% | -3.8% |
| 1986 | 42.0% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 38.9% | -7.5% |
| 1988 | 37.9% | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 38.6% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 39.8% | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 38.9% | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 38.9% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 41.1% | +5.8% |
| 1994 | 40.4% | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 41.4% | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 41.7% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 47.2% | +13.2% |
| 1999 | 49.1% | +4.1% |
| 2000 | 28.2% | -42.5% |
| 2001 | 26.0% | -7.7% |
| 2002 | 23.0% | -11.5% |
| 2003 | 20.5% | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 20.3% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 18.7% | -8.1% |
| 2006 | 15.9% | -15.2% |
| 2007 | 17.4% | +9.6% |
| 2008 | 16.9% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 17.9% | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 16.7% | -6.6% |
| 2011 | 16.0% | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 16.0% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 16.1% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 17.3% | +7.8% |
| 2015 | 17.8% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 17.4% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 15.7% | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 21.4% | +36.4% |
| 2019 | 25.9% | +20.9% |
| 2020 | 25.0% | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 31.0% | +24.1% |
| 2022 | 29.8% | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 31.1% | +4.5% |
| 2024 | 32.6% | +4.7% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 32.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.6%, 3.8× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 32.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.2%, 1.7× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Children out of school, male in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | -42.5% | 49.1% | 28.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 49.2% | 43.9% | 55.0% | 8 |
| 1980s | 42.2% | 37.9% | 47.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.0% | 38.9% | 49.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 20.5% | 15.9% | 28.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.0% | 15.7% | 25.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.9% | 25.0% | 32.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 11 Kenya 33.9% compare
- 12 Cape Verde 33.0% compare
- 13 Senegal 32.9% compare
- 15 Central African Republic 31.5% compare
- 16 Mali 30.9% compare
- 17 Solomon Islands 29.5% 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 children out of school, male in Lesotho?
- Children out of school, male in Lesotho was 32.6% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest children out of school, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 55.0% in 1972.
- What is the lowest children out of school, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.7% in 2017.
- How does Lesotho rank for children out of school, male?
- Lesotho ranks 14th out of 177 countries with data for 2024.
- Is children out of school, male rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 88.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Children out of school, male (% of male primary school age). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Children out of school are the percentage of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in primary or secondary school. Children in the official primary age group that are in preprimary education should be considered out of school.