Net attendance rate of primary school in Lesotho
Lesotho: Net attendance rate of primary school was 96.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Net attendance rate of primary school in Lesotho, 2005–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 96.8% for net attendance rate of primary school in 2023.
The figure is up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net attendance rate of primary school in Lesotho peaked at 97.1% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 90.8%, in 2005.
That places Lesotho 17th out of 36 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Net attendance rate of primary school in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 90.8% | — |
| 2009 | 94.1% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 96.2% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 97.1% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 96.8% | -0.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 96.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 93.6%, 1.0× the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 96.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.0%, 1.2× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 92.5% | 90.8% | 94.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 96.7% | 96.2% | 97.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 96.8% | 96.8% | 96.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 14 El Salvador 97.7% compare
- 15 United States 97.4% compare
- 16 South Africa 97.3% compare
- 18 Colombia 96.7% compare
- 19 Nepal 96.5% compare
- 20 Dominican Republic 96.1% 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 net attendance rate of primary school in Lesotho?
- Net attendance rate of primary school in Lesotho was 96.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest net attendance rate of primary school recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 97.1% in 2018.
- What is the lowest net attendance rate of primary school recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 90.8% in 2005.
- How does Lesotho rank for net attendance rate of primary school?
- Lesotho ranks 17th out of 36 countries with data for 2023.
- Is net attendance rate of primary school rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Net attendance rate of primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total number of students of the official age group for primary education who are attending school at any level of education, expressed as a percentage of the corresponding population.