Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Lesotho
Lesotho: Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 6.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Lesotho, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Lesotho is 6.6%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 9.2% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Lesotho peaked at 13.2% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 4.2%, in 1974.
That places Lesotho 19th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 4.6% | — |
| 1972 | 4.5% | -2.5% |
| 1973 | 4.9% | +7.5% |
| 1974 | 4.2% | -13.0% |
| 1983 | 10.1% | +138.5% |
| 1984 | 6.4% | -36.3% |
| 1985 | 7.1% | +10.3% |
| 1988 | 7.2% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 6.2% | -14.1% |
| 1993 | 8.6% | +38.3% |
| 1994 | 7.0% | -18.1% |
| 1995 | 8.6% | +23.0% |
| 1997 | 11.4% | +31.5% |
| 1999 | 12.5% | +10.0% |
| 2000 | 10.1% | -19.3% |
| 2001 | 9.4% | -7.2% |
| 2002 | 10.1% | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 13.2% | +30.9% |
| 2004 | 11.1% | -16.0% |
| 2005 | 12.1% | +8.7% |
| 2006 | 11.3% | -6.7% |
| 2008 | 12.3% | +9.4% |
| 2015 | 7.6% | -38.0% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 8.2% | +8.0% |
| 2018 | 7.3% | -10.7% |
| 2023 | 7.3% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 6.6% | -9.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.6% | 4.2% | 4.9% | 4 |
| 1980s | 7.4% | 6.2% | 10.1% | 5 |
| 1990s | 9.6% | 7.0% | 12.5% | 5 |
| 2000s | 11.2% | 9.4% | 13.2% | 8 |
| 2010s | 7.7% | 7.3% | 8.2% | 4 |
| 2020s | 7.0% | 6.6% | 7.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 16 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 6.9% compare
- 17 Kyrgyzstan 6.8% compare
- 18 Tunisia 6.7% compare
- 20 Republic of Moldova 6.6% compare
- 21 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6.5% compare
- 22 Kuwait 6.4% 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 government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Lesotho?
- Government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Lesotho was 6.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 13.2% in 2003.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.2% in 1974.
- How does Lesotho rank for government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Lesotho ranks 19th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. 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 Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release