Out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and in Lesotho
Lesotho: Out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and was 229,618 in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
229,618
Change on year
up 3.7%
World rank
63rd
of 178 countries
All-time high
249,912
in 1999
All-time low
95,741
in 2011
Years of data
44
1971–2024
Out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and in Lesotho, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and in Lesotho stood at 229,618.
That represents a change of up 3.7% on the previous year and up 114.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and in Lesotho peaked at 249,912 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 95,741, in 2011.
That places Lesotho 63rd out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 143,397 | — |
| 1973 | 145,933 | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 144,989 | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 142,171 | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 141,834 | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 143,909 | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 143,516 | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 136,906 | -4.6% |
| 1983 | 143,893 | +5.1% |
| 1984 | 153,672 | +6.8% |
| 1985 | 151,074 | -1.7% |
| 1986 | 162,818 | +7.8% |
| 1991 | 173,082 | +6.3% |
| 1992 | 183,033 | +5.7% |
| 1993 | 204,998 | +12.0% |
| 1994 | 206,545 | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 219,320 | +6.2% |
| 1998 | 249,897 | +13.9% |
| 1999 | 249,912 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 188,465 | -24.6% |
| 2001 | 172,741 | -8.3% |
| 2002 | 159,620 | -7.6% |
| 2003 | 140,525 | -12.0% |
| 2004 | 131,855 | -6.2% |
| 2005 | 119,124 | -9.7% |
| 2006 | 104,854 | -12.0% |
| 2007 | 115,334 | +10.0% |
| 2008 | 108,491 | -5.9% |
| 2009 | 106,782 | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 97,306 | -8.9% |
| 2011 | 95,741 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 96,970 | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 99,459 | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 106,836 | +7.4% |
| 2015 | 112,725 | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 114,927 | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 109,764 | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 140,926 | +28.4% |
| 2019 | 159,927 | +13.5% |
| 2020 | 176,609 | +10.4% |
| 2021 | 203,862 | +15.4% |
| 2022 | 205,376 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 221,412 | +7.8% |
| 2024 | 229,618 | +3.7% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 229,618 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 429,706, 53% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 229,618 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.13 million, 20% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 143,665 | 141,834 | 145,933 | 5 |
| 1980s | 147,970 | 136,906 | 162,818 | 7 |
| 1990s | 212,398 | 173,082 | 249,912 | 7 |
| 2000s | 134,779 | 104,854 | 188,465 | 10 |
| 2010s | 113,458 | 95,741 | 159,927 | 10 |
| 2020s | 207,375 | 176,609 | 229,618 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 60 Paraguay 260,017 compare
- 61 Italy 248,068 compare
- 62 Tajikistan 230,885 compare
- 64 Nicaragua 216,372 compare
- 65 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 203,417 compare
- 66 Kazakhstan 190,275 compare
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 out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and in Lesotho?
- Out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and in Lesotho was 229,618 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 249,912 in 1999.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 95,741 in 2011.
- How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and?
- Lesotho ranks 63rd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 114.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and secondary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release