Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Lesotho
Lesotho: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 68.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Lesotho, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Lesotho is 68.2%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Lesotho peaked at 87.9% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
That places Lesotho 174th out of 190 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 0.0% | — |
| 1825 | 0.0% | — |
| 1830 | 0.0% | — |
| 1835 | 0.0% | — |
| 1840 | 0.0% | +100.0% |
| 1845 | 0.0% | +50.0% |
| 1850 | 0.1% | +66.7% |
| 1855 | 0.1% | +60.0% |
| 1860 | 0.1% | +62.5% |
| 1865 | 0.2% | +53.8% |
| 1870 | 0.3% | +55.0% |
| 1875 | 0.5% | +54.8% |
| 1880 | 0.7% | +50.0% |
| 1885 | 1.1% | +51.4% |
| 1890 | 1.6% | +48.6% |
| 1895 | 2.4% | +48.1% |
| 1900 | 3.5% | +46.7% |
| 1905 | 5.1% | +45.5% |
| 1910 | 7.4% | +43.9% |
| 1915 | 10.5% | +41.9% |
| 1920 | 14.6% | +39.6% |
| 1925 | 20.0% | +36.9% |
| 1930 | 26.7% | +33.6% |
| 1935 | 39.4% | +47.6% |
| 1940 | 52.1% | +32.3% |
| 1945 | 64.9% | +24.4% |
| 1950 | 77.6% | +19.6% |
| 1955 | 79.2% | +2.0% |
| 1960 | 75.9% | -4.1% |
| 1965 | 84.0% | +10.7% |
| 1970 | 74.9% | -10.8% |
| 1972 | 70.4% | -6.0% |
| 1973 | 70.3% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 79.6% | +13.1% |
| 1975 | 79.0% | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 80.7% | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 82.7% | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 74.9% | -9.4% |
| 1979 | 76.6% | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 75.7% | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 74.8% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 78.3% | +4.7% |
| 1983 | 76.4% | -2.4% |
| 1984 | 76.2% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 77.1% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 75.5% | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 79.6% | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 79.4% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 77.2% | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 74.9% | -3.1% |
| 1991 | 75.4% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 74.4% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 70.9% | -4.7% |
| 1994 | 70.4% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 67.7% | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 67.6% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 60.0% | -11.3% |
| 1999 | 57.1% | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 77.2% | +35.3% |
| 2001 | 79.7% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 82.2% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 84.6% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 83.9% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 85.4% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 87.9% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 85.5% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 86.5% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 86.1% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 86.3% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 86.3% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 86.5% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 87.0% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 85.4% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 84.5% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 85.1% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 86.1% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 81.0% | -5.9% |
| 2019 | 80.2% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 76.4% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 70.4% | -7.9% |
| 2022 | 71.0% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 69.7% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 68.2% | -2.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 68.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 90.6%, 75% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 68.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 86.4%, 79% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | +100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1850 | +66.7% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1860 | +62.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 1855 | +60.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 1870 | +55.0% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 1875 | +54.8% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1830s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 2 |
| 1890s | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.4% | 2 |
| 1900s | 4.3% | 3.5% | 5.1% | 2 |
| 1910s | 8.9% | 7.4% | 10.5% | 2 |
| 1920s | 17.3% | 14.6% | 20.0% | 2 |
| 1930s | 33.1% | 26.7% | 39.4% | 2 |
| 1940s | 58.5% | 52.1% | 64.9% | 2 |
| 1950s | 78.4% | 77.6% | 79.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 79.9% | 75.9% | 84.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 76.6% | 70.3% | 82.7% | 9 |
| 1980s | 77.0% | 74.8% | 79.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 68.7% | 57.1% | 75.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 83.9% | 77.2% | 87.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 84.8% | 80.2% | 87.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.2% | 68.2% | 76.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 171 Chad 69.4% compare
- 172 Solomon Islands 69.2% compare
- 173 Guinea-Bissau 68.3% compare
- 175 Burkina Faso 66.3% compare
- 176 Yemen 65.1% compare
- 177 Angola 63.1% 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 gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Lesotho?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Lesotho was 68.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 87.9% in 2006.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Lesotho rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Lesotho ranks 174th out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.