Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Lesotho
Lesotho: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary was 32.95 in 2017. ▼ Falling
Latest (2017)
32.95
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
38th
of 199 countries
All-time high
56.44
in 1987
All-time low
32.63
in 2013
Years of data
47
1970–2017
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Lesotho, 1970–2017
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2017, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Lesotho stood at 32.95.
That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Lesotho peaked at 56.44 in 1987 and was at its lowest, 32.63, in 2013.
That places Lesotho 38th out of 199 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 47 years of available data.
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 44.25 | — |
| 1971 | 44.22 | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 44.82 | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 47.45 | +5.9% |
| 1974 | 52.68 | +11.0% |
| 1975 | 52.51 | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 52.45 | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 52.51 | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 51.69 | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 49.27 | -4.7% |
| 1980 | 48.04 | -2.5% |
| 1981 | 48.42 | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 52.49 | +8.4% |
| 1983 | 51.07 | -2.7% |
| 1984 | 52.67 | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 55.45 | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 55.28 | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 56.44 | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 55.64 | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 55.59 | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 54.53 | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 54.02 | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 51.43 | -4.8% |
| 1993 | 48.58 | -5.5% |
| 1994 | 49.37 | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 47.71 | -3.4% |
| 1996 | 47.43 | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 45.6 | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 44.37 | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 47.88 | +7.9% |
| 2001 | 47.36 | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 47 | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 46.24 | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 42.73 | -7.6% |
| 2005 | 41.59 | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 40.78 | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 37.2 | -8.8% |
| 2008 | 35.04 | -5.8% |
| 2009 | 33.76 | -3.7% |
| 2010 | 33.77 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 33.88 | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 34.08 | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 32.63 | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 32.78 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 33.09 | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 33.76 | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 32.95 | -2.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 32.95 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 30.05, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 32.95 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 36.98, 89% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 49.19 | 44.22 | 52.68 | 10 |
| 1980s | 53.11 | 48.04 | 56.44 | 10 |
| 1990s | 49.23 | 44.37 | 54.53 | 9 |
| 2000s | 41.96 | 33.76 | 47.88 | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.37 | 32.63 | 34.08 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 35 Mauritania 34.28 compare
- 36 Haiti 33.41 compare
- 37 Democratic Republic of Congo 33.2 compare
- 39 India 32.75 compare
- 40 Sao Tome and Principe 31.16 compare
- 41 Kenya 30.65 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 pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Lesotho?
- Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Lesotho was 32.95 in 2017, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 56.44 in 1987.
- What is the lowest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.63 in 2013.
- How does Lesotho rank for pupil-teacher ratio, primary?
- Lesotho ranks 38th out of 199 countries with data for 2017.
- Is pupil-teacher ratio, primary rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Pupil-teacher ratio, primary. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in primary school.