Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle in Lesotho
Lesotho: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle was 2.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle 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, middle in Lesotho is 2.6%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 41.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle in Lesotho peaked at 6.9% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2018.
That places Lesotho 21st out of 36 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.9% | — |
| 2009 | 4.7% | -31.0% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | -61.3% |
| 2018 | 1.7% | -7.1% |
| 2023 | 2.6% | +52.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 2.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.2%, 61% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 2.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.4%, 18% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.8% | 4.7% | 6.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
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, middle in Lesotho?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle in Lesotho was 2.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 6.9% in 2005.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2018.
- How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle?
- Lesotho ranks 21st out of 36 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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, middle quintile, 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