Expenditure on primary education in Lesotho
Lesotho: Expenditure on primary education was 56.0% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on primary education in Lesotho, 1972–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2018, expenditure on primary education in Lesotho stood at 56.0%. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.
That represents a change of up 55.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on primary education in Lesotho peaked at 56.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 36.0%, in 2008.
Lesotho ranks 8th of 149 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Expenditure on primary education in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 49.4% | — |
| 1974 | 41.2% | -16.6% |
| 1983 | 41.5% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 38.1% | -8.3% |
| 1985 | 37.1% | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 44.6% | +20.2% |
| 1989 | 45.5% | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 54.2% | +19.2% |
| 1994 | 49.9% | -7.8% |
| 1995 | 51.9% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 37.1% | -28.4% |
| 1999 | 49.6% | +33.6% |
| 2000 | 48.6% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 53.2% | +9.4% |
| 2005 | 43.0% | -19.1% |
| 2006 | 40.1% | -6.8% |
| 2008 | 36.0% | -10.3% |
| 2018 | 56.0% | +55.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 45.3% | 41.2% | 49.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 41.3% | 37.1% | 45.5% | 5 |
| 1990s | 48.6% | 37.1% | 54.2% | 5 |
| 2000s | 44.2% | 36.0% | 53.2% | 5 |
| 2010s | 56.0% | 56.0% | 56.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 5 Haiti 58.9% compare
- 6 Dominican Republic 58.7% compare
- 7 Burkina Faso 57.9% compare
- 9 Mauritania 55.9% compare
- 10 Gambia 55.8% compare
- 11 Guatemala 55.6% 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 expenditure on primary education in Lesotho?
- Expenditure on primary education in Lesotho was 56.0% in 2018, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on primary education recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 56.0% in 2018.
- What is the lowest expenditure on primary education recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.0% in 2008.
- How does Lesotho rank for expenditure on primary education?
- Lesotho ranks 8th out of 149 countries with data for 2018.
- Is expenditure on primary education rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 55.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on primary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on primary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.