Government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of GDP in Lesotho
Lesotho: Government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of GDP was 2.2% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of GDP in Lesotho, 1971–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 2.2% for government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp in Lesotho peaked at 4.4% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1973.
Lesotho ranks 23rd of 165 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of GDP in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.3% | — |
| 1972 | 1.2% | -6.2% |
| 1973 | 1.1% | -5.2% |
| 1974 | 1.3% | +11.6% |
| 1983 | 2.4% | +85.6% |
| 1984 | 2.4% | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 2.7% | +12.5% |
| 1988 | 2.2% | -20.0% |
| 1989 | 2.0% | -8.1% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | +19.9% |
| 1994 | 1.9% | -19.7% |
| 1995 | 3.0% | +52.4% |
| 1997 | 4.4% | +48.4% |
| 1999 | 2.7% | -38.7% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 2.2% | -20.2% |
| 2005 | 2.2% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | -8.8% |
| 2008 | 2.5% | +25.7% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | -13.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 4 |
| 1980s | 2.4% | 2.0% | 2.7% | 5 |
| 1990s | 2.9% | 1.9% | 4.4% | 5 |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 2.0% | 2.8% | 5 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 20 Republic of Korea 2.3% compare
- 21 Brazil 2.3% compare
- 22 France 2.2% compare
- 24 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2.2% compare
- 25 Sweden 2.1% compare
- 26 Republic of Moldova 2.1% 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 government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp in Lesotho?
- Government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp in Lesotho was 2.2% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 4.4% in 1997.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1973.
- How does Lesotho rank for government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp?
- Lesotho ranks 23rd out of 165 countries with data for 2018.
- Is government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. 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 secondary 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