Primary education, pupils in Lesotho
Lesotho: Primary education, pupils was 309,480 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
309,480
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
128th
of 206 countries
All-time high
429,720
in 2003
All-time low
171,454
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Primary education, pupils in Lesotho, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary education, pupils in Lesotho is 309,480, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Lesotho peaked at 429,720 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 171,454, in 1971.
Lesotho ranks 128th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Primary education, pupils in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 175,420 | — |
| 1971 | 171,454 | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 176,404 | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 187,459 | +6.3% |
| 1974 | 218,038 | +16.3% |
| 1975 | 221,922 | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 222,004 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 226,019 | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 228,523 | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 235,604 | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 244,838 | +3.9% |
| 1981 | 259,046 | +5.8% |
| 1982 | 277,945 | +7.3% |
| 1983 | 289,590 | +4.2% |
| 1984 | 297,484 | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 314,003 | +5.6% |
| 1986 | 319,128 | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 331,857 | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 345,524 | +4.1% |
| 1989 | 348,818 | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 351,632 | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 361,144 | +2.7% |
| 1992 | 362,657 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 354,275 | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 366,935 | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 378,011 | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 374,628 | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 368,895 | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 369,535 | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 364,951 | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 410,745 | +12.5% |
| 2001 | 415,007 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 418,668 | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 429,720 | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 427,009 | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 422,278 | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 424,855 | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 400,943 | -5.6% |
| 2008 | 396,041 | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 389,424 | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 388,678 | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 385,437 | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 381,690 | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 369,469 | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 366,048 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 361,637 | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 360,756 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 367,931 | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 340,421 | -7.5% |
| 2019 | 329,770 | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 323,034 | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 317,332 | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 315,722 | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 312,005 | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 309,480 | -0.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 309,480 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.66 million, 19% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 309,480 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.40 million, 13% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 206,285 | 171,454 | 235,604 | 10 |
| 1980s | 302,823 | 244,838 | 348,818 | 10 |
| 1990s | 365,266 | 351,632 | 378,011 | 10 |
| 2000s | 413,469 | 389,424 | 429,720 | 10 |
| 2010s | 365,184 | 329,770 | 388,678 | 10 |
| 2020s | 315,515 | 309,480 | 323,034 | 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 primary education, pupils in Lesotho?
- Primary education, pupils in Lesotho was 309,480 in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 429,720 in 2003.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 171,454 in 1971.
- How does Lesotho rank for primary education, pupils?
- Lesotho ranks 128th out of 206 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.5%. 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 education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.