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 14.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
14.2%
World rank
16th
of 36 countries
All-time high
19.6%
in 2005
All-time low
14.2%
in 2023
Years of data
5
2005–2023

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Lesotho, 2005–2023

051015202005201420232005: 19.6 %2009: 18.9 %2014: 16.6 %2018: 14.6 %2023: 14.2 %

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 14.2%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

The figure is down 14.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Lesotho peaked at 19.6% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 14.2%, in 2023.

Lesotho ranks 16th of 36 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

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, rural, middle quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%) in Lesotho, 2005 to 2023.
Year % Change
2005 19.6%
2009 18.9% -3.6%
2014 16.6% -12.4%
2018 14.6% -12.0%
2023 14.2% -2.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 19.3% 18.9% 19.6% 2
2010s 15.6% 14.6% 16.6% 2
2020s 14.2% 14.2% 14.2% 1

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 13 Nigeria 19.5% compare
  2. 14 Sierra Leone 16.4% compare
  3. 15 Cameroon 14.5% compare
  4. 17 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 11.5% compare
  5. 18 Mexico 10.6% compare
  6. 19 Bangladesh 10.6% compare

See the full ranking of 36 places →

More education data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

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 14.2% 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 19.6% 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 14.2% in 2023.
How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
Lesotho ranks 16th out of 36 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 14.2%. 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, rural, middle quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-of-lower-secondary-school-age-rural-middle-quintile-5/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, rural, middle quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
36 places, 394 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release