Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho
Lesotho: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 51.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 51.7% for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in 2023. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho peaked at 51.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 48.2%, in 1998.
That places Lesotho 65th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 48.2% | — |
| 1999 | 48.3% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 49.4% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 49.9% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 50.0% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 50.3% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 50.4% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 50.4% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 50.6% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 50.9% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 51.2% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 51.1% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 50.9% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 51.0% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 51.1% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 51.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 50.1% | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 51.1% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 51.7% | +1.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 51.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 51.4%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 51.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 51.5%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 48.2% | 48.2% | 48.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 50.1% | 49.4% | 50.6% | 7 |
| 2010s | 50.9% | 50.1% | 51.2% | 8 |
| 2020s | 51.4% | 51.1% | 51.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 62 Philippines 51.7% compare
- 63 Denmark 51.7% compare
- 64 Republic of Moldova 51.7% compare
- 66 Montenegro 51.7% compare
- 67 Thailand 51.7% compare
- 68 Nicaragua 51.7% 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 percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Lesotho was 51.7% 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 51.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.2% in 1998.
- How does Lesotho rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Lesotho ranks 65th out of 200 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 up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, male (%). 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