Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) was 97.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
97.3%
World rank
25th
of 88 countries
All-time high
98.8%
in 2016
All-time low
75.9%
in 2006
Years of data
6
2000–2024
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 97.3% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Lesotho peaked at 98.8% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 75.9%, in 2006.
That places Lesotho 25th out of 88 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 93.0% | — |
| 2006 | 75.9% | -18.3% |
| 2016 | 98.8% | +30.2% |
| 2018 | 93.9% | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 98.6% | +5.0% |
| 2024 | 97.3% | -1.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 97.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 68.5%, 1.4× the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 97.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 57.8%, 1.7× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 84.4% | 75.9% | 93.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 97.1% | 93.9% | 98.8% | 3 |
| 2020s | 97.3% | 97.3% | 97.3% | 1 |
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 literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Lesotho?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Lesotho was 97.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 98.8% in 2016.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.9% in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- Lesotho ranks 25th out of 88 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female 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 Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release