Out-of-school children of primary school age, male in Lesotho
Lesotho: Out-of-school children of primary school age, male was 63,178 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
63,178
Change on year
up 5.8%
World rank
59th
of 180 countries
All-time high
94,257
in 1999
All-time low
25,912
in 2006
Years of data
52
1970–2024
Out-of-school children of primary school age, male in Lesotho, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 63,178 for out-of-school children of primary school age, male in 2024.
The figure is up 5.8% on the previous year and up 114.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children of primary school age, male in Lesotho peaked at 94,257 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 25,912, in 2006.
Lesotho ranks 59th of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Out-of-school children of primary school age, male in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 52,056 | — |
| 1972 | 56,180 | +7.9% |
| 1973 | 55,793 | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 49,017 | -12.1% |
| 1976 | 49,412 | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 49,371 | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 56,563 | +14.6% |
| 1979 | 57,277 | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 58,255 | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 59,486 | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 56,736 | -4.6% |
| 1983 | 60,139 | +6.0% |
| 1984 | 62,288 | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 62,431 | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 65,748 | +5.3% |
| 1987 | 60,470 | -8.0% |
| 1988 | 60,802 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 63,798 | +4.9% |
| 1990 | 67,502 | +5.8% |
| 1991 | 67,886 | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 69,405 | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 75,057 | +8.1% |
| 1994 | 75,512 | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 78,937 | +4.5% |
| 1996 | 80,546 | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 91,448 | +13.5% |
| 1999 | 94,257 | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 53,296 | -43.5% |
| 2001 | 47,981 | -10.0% |
| 2002 | 41,401 | -13.7% |
| 2003 | 36,015 | -13.0% |
| 2004 | 34,983 | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 31,360 | -10.4% |
| 2006 | 25,912 | -17.4% |
| 2007 | 28,107 | +8.5% |
| 2008 | 27,314 | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 29,139 | +6.7% |
| 2010 | 27,419 | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 26,421 | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 26,619 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 26,926 | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 29,463 | +9.4% |
| 2015 | 30,740 | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 30,119 | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 27,481 | -8.8% |
| 2018 | 38,124 | +38.7% |
| 2019 | 46,973 | +23.2% |
| 2020 | 46,140 | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 58,058 | +25.8% |
| 2022 | 56,441 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 59,728 | +5.8% |
| 2024 | 63,178 | +5.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 53,209 | 49,017 | 57,277 | 8 |
| 1980s | 61,015 | 56,736 | 65,748 | 10 |
| 1990s | 77,839 | 67,502 | 94,257 | 9 |
| 2000s | 35,551 | 25,912 | 53,296 | 10 |
| 2010s | 31,028 | 26,421 | 46,973 | 10 |
| 2020s | 56,709 | 46,140 | 63,178 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 56 Canada 66,718 compare
- 57 Equatorial Guinea 65,892 compare
- 58 Myanmar 65,562 compare
- 60 Kazakhstan 59,076 compare
- 61 Ecuador 57,889 compare
- 62 Mozambique 57,562 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 of primary school age, male in Lesotho?
- Out-of-school children of primary school age, male in Lesotho was 63,178 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children of primary school age, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 94,257 in 1999.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children of primary school age, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 25,912 in 2006.
- How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school children of primary school age, male?
- Lesotho ranks 59th out of 180 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school children of primary school age, male rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 114.4%. 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 of primary 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