Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest in Lesotho
Lesotho: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest was 6.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest 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, poorest in Lesotho is 6.9%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest in Lesotho peaked at 18.2% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2018.
That places Lesotho 17th 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, poorest in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 18.2% | — |
| 2009 | 11.1% | -39.2% |
| 2014 | 7.7% | -30.7% |
| 2018 | 5.3% | -31.2% |
| 2023 | 6.9% | +29.9% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 6.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.1%, 84% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 6.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 29.7%, 23% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.6% | 11.1% | 18.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 6.5% | 5.3% | 7.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 6.9% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 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, poorest in Lesotho?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest in Lesotho was 6.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 18.2% in 2005.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2018.
- How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest?
- Lesotho ranks 17th out of 36 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.6%. 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, poorest 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