School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Lesotho
Lesotho: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 5.69 years in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
5.69 years
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
131st
of 218 countries
All-time high
8.92 years
in 2006
All-time low
5.69 years
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Lesotho, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Lesotho is 5.69 years, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and down 26.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Lesotho peaked at 8.92 years in 2006 and was at its lowest, 5.69 years, in 2024.
That places Lesotho 131st out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6.76 years | — |
| 1971 | 6.35 years | -6.1% |
| 1972 | 6.36 years | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 6.6 years | +3.9% |
| 1974 | 7.5 years | +13.5% |
| 1975 | 7.19 years | -4.0% |
| 1976 | 7.19 years | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 7.18 years | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 7.24 years | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 7.27 years | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 7.37 years | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 7.56 years | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 7.82 years | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 7.87 years | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 7.81 years | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 7.93 years | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 7.77 years | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 8.06 years | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 8.15 years | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 7.99 years | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 7.81 years | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 7.79 years | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 7.58 years | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 7.2 years | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 7.3 years | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 7.39 years | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 7.14 years | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 6.64 years | -7.1% |
| 1998 | 6.96 years | +4.8% |
| 1999 | 6.89 years | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 7.71 years | +12.0% |
| 2001 | 7.89 years | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 8.08 years | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 8.44 years | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 8.54 years | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 8.64 years | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 8.92 years | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 8.55 years | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 8.5 years | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 8.38 years | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 8.34 years | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 8.26 years | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 8.15 years | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 7.85 years | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 7.71 years | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 7.52 years | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 7.42 years | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 7.48 years | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 6.84 years | -8.5% |
| 2019 | 6.52 years | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 6.26 years | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 6.07 years | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 5.94 years | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 5.85 years | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 5.69 years | -2.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 5.69 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.02 years, 94% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 5.69 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.13 years, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.96 years | 6.35 years | 7.5 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.83 years | 7.37 years | 8.15 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.27 years | 6.64 years | 7.81 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.36 years | 7.71 years | 8.92 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.61 years | 6.52 years | 8.34 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.96 years | 5.69 years | 6.26 years | 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 school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Lesotho?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Lesotho was 5.69 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 8.92 years in 2006.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.69 years in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Lesotho ranks 131st out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.2%. 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, published as part of School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release