Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in Lesotho
Lesotho: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male was 35.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
35.9%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
21st
of 162 countries
All-time high
52.6%
in 1977
All-time low
16.0%
in 2010
Years of data
43
1973–2024
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in Lesotho, 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in Lesotho is 35.9%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 99.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in Lesotho peaked at 52.6% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 16.0%, in 2010.
That places Lesotho 21st out of 162 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 47.5% | — |
| 1977 | 52.6% | +10.9% |
| 1978 | 42.1% | -20.1% |
| 1979 | 41.0% | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 43.7% | +6.7% |
| 1981 | 40.1% | -8.4% |
| 1982 | 37.8% | -5.7% |
| 1983 | 34.3% | -9.2% |
| 1984 | 38.5% | +12.3% |
| 1985 | 34.6% | -10.2% |
| 1986 | 39.0% | +12.5% |
| 1991 | 35.5% | -8.9% |
| 1992 | 34.6% | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 35.7% | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 33.3% | -6.7% |
| 1996 | 31.8% | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 33.8% | +6.0% |
| 1999 | 32.3% | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 32.9% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 28.9% | -12.3% |
| 2002 | 27.8% | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 24.6% | -11.7% |
| 2004 | 22.4% | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 17.7% | -20.8% |
| 2006 | 17.2% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 19.6% | +14.2% |
| 2008 | 17.4% | -11.5% |
| 2009 | 17.3% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 16.0% | -7.4% |
| 2011 | 17.0% | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 17.5% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 17.3% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 18.0% | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 20.1% | +11.9% |
| 2016 | 24.4% | +21.0% |
| 2017 | 22.6% | -7.2% |
| 2018 | 24.6% | +8.8% |
| 2019 | 26.3% | +6.8% |
| 2020 | 29.4% | +11.9% |
| 2021 | 32.2% | +9.5% |
| 2022 | 34.0% | +5.5% |
| 2023 | 36.0% | +6.1% |
| 2024 | 35.9% | -0.5% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 35.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17.7%, 2.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 35.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 32.0%, 1.1× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 45.8% | 41.0% | 52.6% | 4 |
| 1980s | 38.3% | 34.3% | 43.7% | 7 |
| 1990s | 33.9% | 31.8% | 35.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 22.6% | 17.2% | 32.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.4% | 16.0% | 26.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.5% | 29.4% | 36.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 18 Madagascar 40.4% compare
- 19 Burundi 39.2% compare
- 20 Lao People's Democratic Republic 36.6% compare
- 22 Yemen 35.1% compare
- 23 Lebanon 34.4% compare
- 24 Bangladesh 34.1% 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, male in Lesotho?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in Lesotho was 35.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 52.6% in 1977.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.0% in 2010.
- How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male?
- Lesotho ranks 21st out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 99.2%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release