Enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes (number) (lower) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes (number) (lower) was 98,861 in 2017. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes in Lesotho, 1996–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 98,861 for enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes in 2017. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.5% on the previous year and up 26.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes in Lesotho peaked at 98,861 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 53,104, in 1996.
Lesotho ranks 136th of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes (number) (lower) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 53,104 | — |
| 1998 | 55,857 | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 56,641 | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 55,922 | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 58,691 | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 61,432 | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 62,911 | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 67,014 | +6.5% |
| 2005 | 69,934 | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 70,742 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 78,284 | +10.7% |
| 2008 | 82,286 | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 88,784 | +7.9% |
| 2010 | 94,627 | +6.6% |
| 2011 | 96,028 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 95,454 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 93,427 | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 93,109 | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 93,098 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 93,739 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 98,861 | +5.5% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 98,861 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 673,304, 15% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 98,861 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 666,438, 15% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55,201 | 53,104 | 56,641 | 3 |
| 2000s | 69,600 | 55,922 | 88,784 | 10 |
| 2010s | 94,793 | 93,098 | 98,861 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 133 Albania 116,983 compare
- 134 Central African Republic 107,572 compare
- 135 Jamaica 106,816 compare
- 137 East Timor 89,335 compare
- 138 Puerto Rico 85,320 compare
- 139 North Macedonia 80,635 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 enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes in Lesotho?
- Enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes in Lesotho was 98,861 in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 98,861 in 2017.
- What is the lowest enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 53,104 in 1996.
- How does Lesotho rank for enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes?
- Lesotho ranks 136th out of 200 countries with data for 2017.
- Is enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.3%. 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 Enrolment in lower secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release