Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, male in Lesotho
Lesotho: Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, male was 62.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
62.1%
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
175th
of 194 countries
All-time high
87.9%
in 2018
All-time low
26.3%
in 1972
Years of data
51
1972–2023
Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, male in Lesotho, 1972–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, male in Lesotho stood at 62.1%.
That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and down 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, male in Lesotho peaked at 87.9% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 26.3%, in 1972.
That places Lesotho 175th 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, male in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 26.3% | — |
| 1973 | 27.6% | +5.0% |
| 1974 | 33.7% | +22.0% |
| 1975 | 35.5% | +5.4% |
| 1976 | 34.3% | -3.4% |
| 1977 | 30.8% | -10.4% |
| 1978 | 29.9% | -2.9% |
| 1979 | 30.2% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 29.4% | -2.5% |
| 1981 | 31.2% | +5.8% |
| 1982 | 31.7% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 34.0% | +7.2% |
| 1984 | 35.7% | +5.2% |
| 1985 | 36.0% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 35.4% | -1.7% |
| 1987 | 37.0% | +4.7% |
| 1988 | 38.8% | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 39.4% | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 40.4% | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 40.4% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 43.1% | +6.7% |
| 1993 | 43.5% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 45.9% | +5.5% |
| 1995 | 50.3% | +9.8% |
| 1996 | 48.8% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 47.9% | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 48.4% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 49.2% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 46.5% | -5.4% |
| 2001 | 49.6% | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 51.1% | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 54.8% | +7.0% |
| 2004 | 57.3% | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 53.5% | -6.7% |
| 2006 | 70.7% | +32.3% |
| 2007 | 70.1% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 69.0% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 67.9% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 70.9% | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 72.8% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 72.3% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 72.2% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 70.5% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 67.7% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 71.0% | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 87.9% | +23.8% |
| 2019 | 74.8% | -14.8% |
| 2020 | 68.0% | -9.1% |
| 2021 | 73.3% | +7.7% |
| 2022 | 65.5% | -10.6% |
| 2023 | 62.1% | -5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 31.0% | 26.3% | 35.5% | 8 |
| 1980s | 34.9% | 29.4% | 39.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.8% | 40.4% | 50.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.1% | 46.5% | 70.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.3% | 67.7% | 87.9% | 9 |
| 2020s | 67.2% | 62.1% | 73.3% | 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, male in Lesotho?
- Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, male in Lesotho was 62.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 87.9% in 2018.
- What is the lowest gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.3% in 1972.
- How does Lesotho rank for gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, male?
- Lesotho ranks 175th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, male rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release