Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%) (literacy) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%) (literacy) was 90.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
90.9%
World rank
14th
of 90 countries
All-time high
94.3%
in 2016
All-time low
35.1%
in 2006
Years of data
5
2000–2024
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 90.9% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Lesotho peaked at 94.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 35.1%, in 2006.
Lesotho ranks 14th of 90 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%) (literacy) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 72.1% | — |
| 2006 | 35.1% | -51.4% |
| 2016 | 94.3% | +168.8% |
| 2018 | 65.5% | -30.6% |
| 2024 | 90.9% | +38.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 90.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 31.2%, 2.9× the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 90.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22.5%, 4.0× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 53.6% | 35.1% | 72.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 79.9% | 65.5% | 94.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 90.9% | 90.9% | 90.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
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 elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Lesotho?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Lesotho was 90.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 94.3% in 2016.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.1% in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female?
- Lesotho ranks 14th out of 90 countries with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. 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 Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release