Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) (rate male) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) (rate male) was 83.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
83.0%
World rank
62nd
of 88 countries
All-time high
95.7%
in 2016
All-time low
53.9%
in 2006
Years of data
6
2000–2024
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Lesotho stood at 83.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Lesotho peaked at 95.7% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 53.9%, in 2006.
Lesotho ranks 62nd of 88 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) (rate male) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 79.1% | — |
| 2006 | 53.9% | -31.8% |
| 2016 | 95.7% | +77.5% |
| 2018 | 79.5% | -16.9% |
| 2019 | 86.3% | +8.6% |
| 2024 | 83.0% | -3.9% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 83.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 83.7%, 99% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 83.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 77.8%, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 66.5% | 53.9% | 79.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 87.2% | 79.5% | 95.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 83.0% | 83.0% | 83.0% | 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, male in Lesotho?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Lesotho was 83.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 95.7% in 2016.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.9% in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
- Lesotho ranks 62nd out of 88 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. 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, male (%). 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