Primary completion rate, male in Lesotho

Lesotho: Primary completion rate, male was 62.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
62.1%
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
171st
of 189 countries
All-time high
87.9%
in 2018
All-time low
26.3%
in 1972
Years of data
51
1972–2023

Primary completion rate, male in Lesotho, 1972–2023

20406080197219972023

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of relevant age group.

Analysis

Lesotho recorded 62.1% for primary completion rate, male in 2023.

That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and down 14.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary completion rate, male in Lesotho peaked at 87.9% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 26.3%, in 1972.

That places Lesotho 171st out of 189 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.

Primary completion rate, male in Lesotho, year by year

Annual values for Primary completion rate, male (% of relevant age group) in Lesotho, 1972 to 2023.
Year % of relevant age group Change
1972 26.3%
1973 27.6% +5.0%
1974 33.7% +22.0%
1975 35.5% +5.4%
1976 34.3% -3.4%
1977 30.8% -10.4%
1978 29.9% -2.9%
1979 30.2% +1.0%
1980 29.4% -2.5%
1981 31.2% +5.8%
1982 31.7% +1.7%
1983 34.0% +7.2%
1984 35.7% +5.2%
1985 36.0% +0.7%
1986 35.4% -1.7%
1987 37.0% +4.7%
1988 38.8% +4.8%
1989 39.4% +1.5%
1990 40.4% +2.5%
1991 40.4% +0.2%
1992 43.1% +6.7%
1993 43.5% +0.8%
1994 45.9% +5.5%
1995 50.3% +9.8%
1996 48.8% -3.1%
1997 47.9% -1.9%
1998 48.4% +1.1%
1999 49.2% +1.6%
2000 46.5% -5.4%
2001 49.6% +6.6%
2002 51.1% +3.1%
2003 54.8% +7.0%
2004 57.3% +4.7%
2005 53.5% -6.7%
2006 70.7% +32.3%
2007 70.1% -0.9%
2008 69.0% -1.7%
2009 67.9% -1.5%
2010 70.9% +4.5%
2011 72.8% +2.6%
2012 72.3% -0.7%
2013 72.2% -0.0%
2014 70.5% -2.5%
2015 67.7% -3.9%
2016 71.0% +4.8%
2018 87.9% +23.8%
2019 74.8% -14.8%
2020 68.0% -9.1%
2021 73.3% +7.7%
2022 65.5% -10.6%
2023 62.1% -5.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 31.0% 26.3% 35.5% 8
1980s 34.9% 29.4% 39.4% 10
1990s 45.8% 40.4% 50.3% 10
2000s 59.1% 46.5% 70.7% 10
2010s 73.3% 67.7% 87.9% 9
2020s 67.2% 62.1% 73.3% 4

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 168 Lebanon 66.0% compare
  2. 169 Malawi 65.8% compare
  3. 170 Benin 64.1% compare
  4. 172 Sudan 60.5% compare
  5. 173 Rwanda 60.3% compare
  6. 174 Syrian Arab Republic 58.9% compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More education data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary completion rate, male in Lesotho?
Primary completion rate, male in Lesotho was 62.1% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary completion rate, male recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 87.9% in 2018.
What is the lowest primary completion rate, male recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 26.3% in 1972.
How does Lesotho rank for primary completion rate, male?
Lesotho ranks 171st out of 189 countries with data for 2023.
Is primary completion rate, male rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary completion rate, male (% of relevant age group). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary completion rate, male in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-completion-rate-male-percent-of-relevant-age-group/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary completion rate, male (% of relevant age group)
Unit
% of relevant age group
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
234 places, 6,295 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary completion rate, or gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, is the number of new entrants (enrollments minus repeaters) in the last grade of primary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of primary education. Data limitations preclude adjusting for students who drop out during the final year of primary education.