Expenditure on tertiary education in Lesotho
Lesotho: Expenditure on tertiary education was 7.4% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Lesotho, 1971–2018
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 tertiary education in Lesotho stood at 7.4%. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
The figure is down 79.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Lesotho peaked at 36.8% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 2018.
That places Lesotho 148th out of 160 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 13.4% | — |
| 1972 | 17.2% | +28.6% |
| 1973 | 22.2% | +29.0% |
| 1974 | 20.2% | -9.2% |
| 1983 | 20.4% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 18.5% | -9.3% |
| 1985 | 18.8% | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 18.0% | -4.6% |
| 1989 | 16.7% | -6.9% |
| 1993 | 15.6% | -6.4% |
| 1994 | 18.9% | +20.7% |
| 1995 | 13.7% | -27.3% |
| 1997 | 23.4% | +70.3% |
| 1999 | 21.9% | -6.5% |
| 2000 | 16.7% | -23.6% |
| 2001 | 18.6% | +11.5% |
| 2005 | 36.4% | +95.5% |
| 2006 | 36.8% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 36.4% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 7.4% | -79.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.2% | 13.4% | 22.2% | 4 |
| 1980s | 18.5% | 16.7% | 20.4% | 5 |
| 1990s | 18.7% | 13.7% | 23.4% | 5 |
| 2000s | 29.0% | 16.7% | 36.8% | 5 |
| 2010s | 7.4% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 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 expenditure on tertiary education in Lesotho?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Lesotho was 7.4% in 2018, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 36.8% in 2006.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 2018.
- How does Lesotho rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Lesotho ranks 148th out of 160 countries with data for 2018.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 79.6%. 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 tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.