Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female in Lesotho
Lesotho: Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female was 71.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
71.9%
Change on year
down 5.1%
World rank
165th
of 194 countries
All-time high
99.0%
in 2006
All-time low
44.7%
in 1972
Years of data
51
1972–2023
Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female in Lesotho, 1972–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female in Lesotho stood at 71.9%.
That represents a change of down 5.1% on the previous year and down 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female in Lesotho peaked at 99.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 44.7%, in 1972.
That places Lesotho 165th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 44.7% | — |
| 1973 | 51.0% | +14.1% |
| 1974 | 63.5% | +24.5% |
| 1975 | 67.7% | +6.6% |
| 1976 | 63.0% | -6.9% |
| 1977 | 59.3% | -5.9% |
| 1978 | 61.4% | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 63.0% | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 63.9% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 64.7% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 65.2% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 65.3% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 64.3% | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 63.6% | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 63.3% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 69.9% | +10.5% |
| 1988 | 71.9% | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 70.6% | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 73.2% | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 72.8% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 73.7% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 72.3% | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 73.6% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 75.0% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 70.5% | -6.0% |
| 1997 | 69.1% | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 68.7% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 65.6% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 63.5% | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 66.0% | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 69.3% | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 72.6% | +4.9% |
| 2004 | 77.4% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 75.2% | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 99.0% | +31.6% |
| 2007 | 93.5% | -5.5% |
| 2008 | 90.2% | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 90.5% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 91.5% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 91.0% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 91.3% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 92.0% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 88.5% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 85.2% | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 86.3% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 96.8% | +12.2% |
| 2019 | 85.9% | -11.2% |
| 2020 | 79.5% | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 84.2% | +5.8% |
| 2022 | 75.7% | -10.0% |
| 2023 | 71.9% | -5.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 59.2% | 44.7% | 67.7% | 8 |
| 1980s | 66.3% | 63.3% | 71.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 71.5% | 65.6% | 75.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 79.7% | 63.5% | 99.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 89.8% | 85.2% | 96.8% | 9 |
| 2020s | 77.8% | 71.9% | 84.2% | 4 |
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 gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female in Lesotho?
- Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female in Lesotho was 71.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 99.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.7% in 1972.
- How does Lesotho rank for gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female?
- Lesotho ranks 165th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.9%. 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 intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release