Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Lesotho
Lesotho: Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes was 87.2% in 2017. ▲ Rising
Latest (2017)
87.2%
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
157th
of 211 countries
All-time high
92.4%
in 2011
All-time low
56.7%
in 1971
Years of data
47
1970–2017
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Lesotho, 1970–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2017, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Lesotho stood at 87.2%.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Lesotho peaked at 92.4% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 56.7%, in 1971.
That places Lesotho 157th out of 211 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 58.5% | — |
| 1971 | 56.7% | -3.1% |
| 1972 | 56.9% | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 59.8% | +5.1% |
| 1975 | 67.4% | +12.7% |
| 1976 | 66.3% | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 66.4% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 65.7% | -1.0% |
| 1979 | 66.9% | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 67.8% | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 69.9% | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 72.4% | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 73.3% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 72.9% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 74.2% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 73.0% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 76.3% | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 77.4% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 76.0% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 74.5% | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 74.2% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 73.1% | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 70.3% | -3.8% |
| 1994 | 71.6% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 72.5% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 70.7% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 69.4% | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 69.2% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 68.7% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 76.3% | +11.1% |
| 2001 | 78.5% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 80.5% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 83.7% | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 85.5% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 87.2% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 90.3% | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 88.5% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 89.4% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 90.1% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 91.9% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 92.4% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 92.4% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 89.2% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 88.1% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 87.1% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 85.5% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 87.2% | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 62.7% | 56.7% | 67.4% | 9 |
| 1980s | 73.3% | 67.8% | 77.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 71.4% | 68.7% | 74.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 85.0% | 76.3% | 90.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 89.2% | 85.5% | 92.4% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More education data for Lesotho
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 309,480 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.8093 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.1324 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 150,993 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Lesotho?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Lesotho was 87.2% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 92.4% in 2011.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.7% in 1971.
- How does Lesotho rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Lesotho ranks 157th out of 211 countries with data for 2017.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. 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 Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release