Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Lesotho
Lesotho: Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes was 13.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
13.6%
Change on year
up 13.2%
World rank
19th
of 199 countries
All-time high
34.6%
in 1982
All-time low
5.3%
in 2020
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Lesotho, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Lesotho stood at 13.6%.
The figure is up 13.2% on the previous year and up 147.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Lesotho peaked at 34.6% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2020.
Lesotho ranks 19th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 18.2% | — |
| 1971 | 23.1% | +27.1% |
| 1972 | 22.8% | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 6.9% | -69.7% |
| 1974 | 7.4% | +7.1% |
| 1975 | 10.0% | +35.5% |
| 1976 | 18.3% | +83.1% |
| 1977 | 19.5% | +6.3% |
| 1978 | 20.9% | +7.2% |
| 1979 | 27.2% | +30.5% |
| 1980 | 28.8% | +6.0% |
| 1981 | 33.5% | +16.0% |
| 1982 | 34.6% | +3.6% |
| 1983 | 32.8% | -5.5% |
| 1984 | 32.5% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 32.5% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 31.9% | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 30.6% | -3.8% |
| 1988 | 30.0% | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 29.4% | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 29.6% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 27.5% | -7.0% |
| 1992 | 24.6% | -10.6% |
| 1993 | 24.4% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 24.2% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 24.0% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 24.1% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 24.5% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 23.6% | -3.7% |
| 1999 | 30.0% | +27.2% |
| 2000 | 23.2% | -22.8% |
| 2001 | 27.1% | +17.0% |
| 2002 | 28.9% | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 23.1% | -19.9% |
| 2004 | 28.3% | +22.5% |
| 2005 | 28.1% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 27.7% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 28.4% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 20.9% | -26.4% |
| 2009 | 25.7% | +23.1% |
| 2010 | 22.1% | -14.2% |
| 2011 | 18.9% | -14.7% |
| 2012 | 12.3% | -34.9% |
| 2013 | 5.5% | -55.2% |
| 2014 | 6.6% | +19.4% |
| 2015 | 7.8% | +19.5% |
| 2016 | 8.6% | +10.1% |
| 2017 | 6.9% | -19.8% |
| 2018 | 10.2% | +47.4% |
| 2019 | 11.5% | +13.2% |
| 2020 | 5.3% | -54.0% |
| 2021 | 11.2% | +110.1% |
| 2022 | 12.0% | +7.8% |
| 2023 | 13.6% | +13.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.4% | 6.9% | 27.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 31.7% | 28.8% | 34.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.6% | 23.6% | 30.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.1% | 20.9% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.0% | 5.5% | 22.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.5% | 5.3% | 13.6% | 4 |
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 repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Lesotho?
- Repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Lesotho was 13.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 34.6% in 1982.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2020.
- How does Lesotho rank for repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes?
- Lesotho ranks 19th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 147.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release