Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Lesotho
Lesotho: Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates was 80.2% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
80.2%
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
205th
of 217 countries
All-time high
130.0%
in 2006
All-time low
80.2%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Lesotho, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Lesotho is 80.2%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Lesotho peaked at 130.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 80.2%, in 2024.
Lesotho ranks 205th of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 90.1% | — |
| 1971 | 86.2% | -4.4% |
| 1972 | 86.8% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 90.5% | +4.2% |
| 1974 | 103.1% | +14.0% |
| 1975 | 102.8% | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 100.6% | -2.1% |
| 1977 | 100.4% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 98.9% | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 99.1% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 99.7% | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 101.7% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 105.0% | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 105.0% | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 103.5% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 104.9% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 102.5% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 107.4% | +4.8% |
| 1988 | 108.2% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 105.9% | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 103.7% | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 103.7% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 101.6% | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 97.1% | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 98.2% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 99.3% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 97.1% | -2.2% |
| 1997 | 94.9% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 95.5% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 95.3% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 109.0% | +14.4% |
| 2001 | 112.8% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 116.7% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 122.5% | +5.0% |
| 2004 | 124.3% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 125.9% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 130.0% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 124.0% | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 122.5% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 119.6% | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 118.6% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 117.2% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 115.3% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 110.5% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 107.8% | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 105.2% | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 104.2% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 105.6% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 96.0% | -9.1% |
| 2019 | 91.3% | -4.9% |
| 2020 | 87.7% | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 85.0% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 83.6% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 81.6% | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 80.2% | -1.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 80.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 102.7%, 78% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 80.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 100.4%, 80% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 95.8% | 86.2% | 103.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 104.4% | 99.7% | 108.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 98.6% | 94.9% | 103.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 120.7% | 109.0% | 130.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 107.2% | 91.3% | 118.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.6% | 80.2% | 87.7% | 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, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Lesotho?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Lesotho was 80.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 130.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 80.2% in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Lesotho ranks 205th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of children of any age group who are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the official primary school age.