Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Lesotho
Lesotho: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 11.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
11.5%
World rank
19th
of 47 countries
All-time high
16.8%
in 2005
All-time low
9.1%
in 2018
Years of data
5
2005–2023
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Lesotho, 2005–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Lesotho is 11.5%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Lesotho peaked at 16.8% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 9.1%, in 2018.
Lesotho ranks 19th of 47 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 16.8% | — |
| 2009 | 11.7% | -30.3% |
| 2014 | 13.0% | +11.0% |
| 2018 | 9.1% | -30.1% |
| 2023 | 11.5% | +26.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 11.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 20.3%, 57% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 11.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.8%, 55% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.3% | 11.7% | 16.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 11.1% | 9.1% | 13.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 16 Cameroon 20.3% compare
- 17 Rwanda 12.2% compare
- 18 Sierra Leone 12.1% compare
- 20 Malawi 11.0% compare
- 21 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 10.4% compare
- 22 Bangladesh 9.6% 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Lesotho?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Lesotho was 11.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 16.8% in 2005.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.1% in 2018.
- How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Lesotho ranks 19th out of 47 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.7%. 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, female (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release