Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Lesotho
Lesotho: Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education was 35.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Lesotho, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Lesotho stood at 35.8%.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 34.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Lesotho peaked at 86.3% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 35.6%, in 2023.
That places Lesotho 21st out of 185 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 86.3% | — |
| 1999 | 70.9% | -17.8% |
| 2000 | 64.2% | -9.5% |
| 2001 | 61.3% | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 59.5% | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 60.9% | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 64.0% | +5.0% |
| 2005 | 62.3% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 62.1% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 65.5% | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 63.4% | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 63.0% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 62.9% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 60.6% | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 58.0% | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 55.4% | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 54.8% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 53.2% | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 52.2% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 50.1% | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 47.8% | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 44.1% | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 40.4% | -8.5% |
| 2021 | 38.0% | -5.9% |
| 2022 | 36.8% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 35.6% | -3.4% |
| 2024 | 35.8% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 78.6% | 70.9% | 86.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 62.6% | 59.5% | 65.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.9% | 44.1% | 62.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.3% | 35.6% | 40.4% | 5 |
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 pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Lesotho?
- Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Lesotho was 35.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 86.3% in 1998.
- What is the lowest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.6% in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education?
- Lesotho ranks 21st out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.7%. 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 Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release