Completion rate, lower secondary education, both … modelled data both in Lesotho
Lesotho: Completion rate, lower secondary education, both … modelled data both was 44.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Lesotho, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Lesotho is 44.1%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and up 29.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Lesotho peaked at 44.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 12.8%, in 1981.
Lesotho ranks 136th of 164 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Completion rate, lower secondary education, both … modelled data both in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 12.8% | — |
| 1982 | 13.3% | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 13.8% | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 14.3% | +3.3% |
| 1985 | 14.8% | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 15.1% | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 15.5% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 15.7% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 15.9% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 16.1% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 16.3% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 16.5% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 16.7% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 17.2% | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 18.0% | +4.6% |
| 1996 | 18.9% | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 19.6% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 20.1% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 20.2% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 20.3% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 20.6% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 21.2% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 21.9% | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 22.8% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 23.9% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 25.0% | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 26.4% | +5.4% |
| 2008 | 27.6% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 28.8% | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 29.8% | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 30.8% | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 31.7% | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 32.4% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 33.1% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 34.0% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 35.2% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 36.5% | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 37.5% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 38.2% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 38.7% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 39.4% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 40.3% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 41.6% | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 42.9% | +3.2% |
| 2025 | 44.1% | +2.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 44.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 60.3%, 73% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 44.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 42.4%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.6% | 12.8% | 15.9% | 9 |
| 1990s | 18.0% | 16.1% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.9% | 20.3% | 28.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.9% | 29.8% | 38.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.2% | 38.7% | 44.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More education data for Lesotho
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 68.25 (2024)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 67.83 (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Lesotho?
- Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Lesotho was 44.1% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 44.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.8% in 1981.
- How does Lesotho rank for completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data)?
- Lesotho ranks 136th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.7%. 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 Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release