Population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Lesotho
Lesotho: Population of the official entrance age to secondary general was 53,812 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
53,812
Change on year
up 5.1%
World rank
135th
of 220 countries
All-time high
55,253
in 2001
All-time low
25,198
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Lesotho, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 53,812 for population of the official entrance age to secondary general in 2025.
That represents a change of up 5.1% on the previous year and up 16.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Lesotho peaked at 55,253 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 25,198, in 1970.
Lesotho ranks 135th of 220 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 25,198 | — |
| 1971 | 26,221 | +4.1% |
| 1972 | 27,113 | +3.4% |
| 1973 | 27,881 | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 28,535 | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 29,099 | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 29,580 | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 29,723 | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 30,366 | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 31,167 | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 31,966 | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 32,869 | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 33,746 | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 34,702 | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 35,800 | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 37,051 | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 38,420 | +3.7% |
| 1987 | 38,236 | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 39,502 | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 41,027 | +3.9% |
| 1990 | 42,689 | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 44,181 | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 45,674 | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 47,144 | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 48,490 | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 49,810 | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 51,180 | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 52,472 | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 53,006 | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 53,478 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 53,814 | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 55,253 | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 54,405 | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 53,179 | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 51,695 | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 50,380 | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 48,788 | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 47,176 | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 46,222 | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 45,990 | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 46,227 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 46,390 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 45,149 | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 44,350 | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 44,652 | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 46,259 | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 48,299 | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 48,487 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 47,552 | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 47,268 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 47,742 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 49,753 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 50,652 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 50,817 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 51,186 | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 53,812 | +5.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 53,812 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 245,828, 22% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 53,812 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 382,813, 14% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 28,488 | 25,198 | 31,167 | 10 |
| 1980s | 36,332 | 31,966 | 41,027 | 10 |
| 1990s | 48,812 | 42,689 | 53,478 | 10 |
| 2000s | 50,690 | 45,990 | 55,253 | 10 |
| 2010s | 46,463 | 44,350 | 48,487 | 10 |
| 2020s | 50,660 | 47,742 | 53,812 | 6 |
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 population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Lesotho?
- Population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Lesotho was 53,812 in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of the official entrance age to secondary general recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 55,253 in 2001.
- What is the lowest population of the official entrance age to secondary general recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 25,198 in 1970.
- How does Lesotho rank for population of the official entrance age to secondary general?
- Lesotho ranks 135th out of 220 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population of the official entrance age to secondary general rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.3%. 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 Population of the official entrance age to secondary general education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release