Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural in Lesotho
Lesotho: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural was 1.27 WPIA in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural in Lesotho, 2005–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in WPIA.
Analysis
In 2023, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural in Lesotho stood at 1.27 WPIA. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 24.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural in Lesotho peaked at 1.84 WPIA in 2005 and was at its lowest, 1.27 WPIA, in 2023.
Lesotho ranks 10th of 23 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | WPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 1.84 WPIA | — |
| 2009 | 1.82 WPIA | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 1.69 WPIA | -7.2% |
| 2018 | 1.75 WPIA | +3.9% |
| 2023 | 1.27 WPIA | -27.6% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 1.27 WPIA is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.79 WPIA, 71% of the median. (7 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 1.27 WPIA is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.59 WPIA, 80% of the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.83 WPIA | 1.82 WPIA | 1.84 WPIA | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.72 WPIA | 1.69 WPIA | 1.75 WPIA | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.27 WPIA | 1.27 WPIA | 1.27 WPIA | 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, rural in Lesotho?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural in Lesotho was 1.27 WPIA in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 1.84 WPIA in 2005.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.27 WPIA in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural?
- Lesotho ranks 10th out of 23 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.7%. 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, rural, adjusted wealth parity index (household survey data) (WPIA). 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