Literacy rate, youth female in Lesotho

Lesotho: Literacy rate, youth female was 98.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
98.8%
World rank
41st
of 105 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 2019
All-time low
85.0%
in 2006
Years of data
8
2000–2024

Literacy rate, youth female in Lesotho, 2000–2024

0204060801002000201220242000: 97.5 % of females ages 15-242006: 85 % of females ages 15-242009: 94.2 % of females ages 15-242014: 96.5 % of females ages 15-242016: 99.6 % of females ages 15-242018: 98.3 % of females ages 15-242019: 100 % of females ages 15-242024: 98.8 % of females ages 15-24

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15-24.

Analysis

In 2024, literacy rate, youth female in Lesotho stood at 98.8%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth female in Lesotho peaked at 100.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 85.0%, in 2006.

Lesotho ranks 41st of 105 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate, youth female in Lesotho, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24) in Lesotho, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of females ages 15-24 Change
2000 97.5%
2006 85.0% -12.8%
2009 94.2% +10.9%
2014 96.5% +2.4%
2016 99.6% +3.1%
2018 98.3% -1.3%
2019 100.0% +1.8%
2024 98.8% -1.2%

Lesotho compared with similar countries

  • Lesotho's 98.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 93.8%, 1.1× the median. (36 countries reporting)
  • Lesotho's 98.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 80.1%, 1.2× the median. (35 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 92.2% 85.0% 97.5% 3
2010s 98.6% 96.5% 100.0% 4
2020s 98.8% 98.8% 98.8% 1

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 38 Mongolia 98.9% compare
  2. 39 Jordan 98.9% compare
  3. 40 Maldives 98.9% compare
  4. 42 Dominican Republic 98.8% compare
  5. 43 Eswatini 98.8% compare
  6. 44 North Macedonia 98.8% compare

See the full ranking of 145 places →

More education data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, youth female in Lesotho?
Literacy rate, youth female in Lesotho was 98.8% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, youth female recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2019.
What is the lowest literacy rate, youth female recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 85.0% in 2006.
How does Lesotho rank for literacy rate, youth female?
Lesotho ranks 41st out of 105 countries with data for 2024.
Is literacy rate, youth female rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, youth female in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-youth-female-percent-of-females-ages-15-24/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24)
Unit
% of females ages 15-24
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
145 places, 2,856 data points, 1974–2024
Last refreshed

Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.