Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho
Lesotho: Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary was 90,546 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
90,546
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
52nd
of 170 countries
All-time high
119,473
in 1999
All-time low
38,147
in 2011
Years of data
43
1973–2024
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho, 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho stood at 90,546.
The figure is up 4.1% on the previous year and up 118.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho peaked at 119,473 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 38,147, in 2011.
Lesotho ranks 52nd of 170 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 74,914 | — |
| 1977 | 72,343 | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 75,181 | +3.9% |
| 1979 | 75,758 | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 78,502 | +3.6% |
| 1981 | 78,560 | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 75,234 | -4.2% |
| 1983 | 77,419 | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 82,271 | +6.3% |
| 1985 | 80,973 | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 87,361 | +7.9% |
| 1991 | 90,463 | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 92,126 | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 99,202 | +7.7% |
| 1994 | 98,680 | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 103,917 | +5.3% |
| 1998 | 117,384 | +13.0% |
| 1999 | 119,473 | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 79,252 | -33.7% |
| 2001 | 71,093 | -10.3% |
| 2002 | 63,792 | -10.3% |
| 2003 | 55,695 | -12.7% |
| 2004 | 52,526 | -5.7% |
| 2005 | 44,876 | -14.6% |
| 2006 | 38,616 | -13.9% |
| 2007 | 42,260 | +9.4% |
| 2008 | 39,550 | -6.4% |
| 2009 | 41,084 | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 38,417 | -6.5% |
| 2011 | 38,147 | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 38,585 | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 38,654 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 41,485 | +7.3% |
| 2015 | 44,310 | +6.8% |
| 2016 | 47,024 | +6.1% |
| 2017 | 43,608 | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 55,836 | +28.0% |
| 2019 | 65,747 | +17.8% |
| 2020 | 67,044 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 81,330 | +21.3% |
| 2022 | 81,587 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 86,964 | +6.6% |
| 2024 | 90,546 | +4.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 90,546 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 122,542, 74% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 90,546 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 251,598, 36% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 74,549 | 72,343 | 75,758 | 4 |
| 1980s | 80,046 | 75,234 | 87,361 | 7 |
| 1990s | 103,035 | 90,463 | 119,473 | 7 |
| 2000s | 52,874 | 38,616 | 79,252 | 10 |
| 2010s | 45,181 | 38,147 | 65,747 | 10 |
| 2020s | 81,494 | 67,044 | 90,546 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 49 Uzbekistan 113,392 compare
- 50 Togo 113,264 compare
- 51 El Salvador 97,227 compare
- 53 Tunisia 88,362 compare
- 54 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 88,090 compare
- 55 Kazakhstan 87,888 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 and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho?
- Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho was 90,546 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 119,473 in 1999.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 38,147 in 2011.
- How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary?
- Lesotho ranks 52nd out of 170 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 118.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release