Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Lesotho
Lesotho: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 3.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.2%
World rank
28th
of 47 countries
All-time high
9.2%
in 2005
All-time low
2.9%
in 2018
Years of data
5
2005–2023
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Lesotho, 2005–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Lesotho is 3.2%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Lesotho peaked at 9.2% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 2018.
Lesotho ranks 28th of 47 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9.2% | — |
| 2009 | 5.9% | -36.4% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -35.2% |
| 2018 | 2.9% | -24.8% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | +13.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 3.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.2%, 52% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 3.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.5%, 22% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.5% | 5.9% | 9.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 3.3% | 2.9% | 3.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 25 Nepal 3.5% compare
- 26 Egypt 3.4% compare
- 27 Colombia 3.3% compare
- 29 South Africa 2.7% compare
- 30 United States of America 2.6% compare
- 31 El Salvador 2.3% 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 children of primary school age, both sexes in Lesotho?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Lesotho was 3.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 9.2% in 2005.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 2018.
- How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Lesotho ranks 28th out of 47 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.8%. 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 children of primary school age, both sexes (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