Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho
Lesotho: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 95.3% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
95.3%
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
56th
of 201 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 2000
All-time low
91.3%
in 2017
Years of data
19
1998–2023
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 95.3% for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho peaked at 100.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 91.3%, in 2017.
Lesotho ranks 56th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 96.9% | — |
| 1999 | 100.0% | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 99.9% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 99.9% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 99.7% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 99.7% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 99.6% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 99.4% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 99.3% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 99.3% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 99.0% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 98.7% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 98.5% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 98.3% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 98.0% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 91.3% | -6.8% |
| 2022 | 96.2% | +5.4% |
| 2023 | 95.3% | -1.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 95.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 86.3%, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 95.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.0%, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 98.5% | 96.9% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 99.7% | 99.4% | 100.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 97.8% | 91.3% | 99.3% | 8 |
| 2020s | 95.8% | 95.3% | 96.2% | 2 |
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 percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho was 95.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 91.3% in 2017.
- How does Lesotho rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Lesotho ranks 56th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release