Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) was 10,388 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
10,388
Change on year
up 3.7%
World rank
137th
of 216 countries
All-time high
11,536
in 2009
All-time low
3,877
in 1971
Years of data
54
1970–2024
Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Lesotho, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, teachers in primary education, both sexes in Lesotho stood at 10,388.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.7% on the previous year and down 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, teachers in primary education, both sexes in Lesotho peaked at 11,536 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 3,877, in 1971.
That places Lesotho 137th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,964 | — |
| 1971 | 3,877 | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 3,936 | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 3,951 | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 4,139 | +4.8% |
| 1975 | 4,226 | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 4,233 | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 4,304 | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 4,421 | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 4,782 | +8.2% |
| 1980 | 5,097 | +6.6% |
| 1981 | 5,350 | +5.0% |
| 1982 | 5,295 | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 5,670 | +7.1% |
| 1984 | 5,648 | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 5,663 | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 5,773 | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 5,880 | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 6,210 | +5.6% |
| 1989 | 6,275 | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 6,448 | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 6,685 | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 7,051 | +5.5% |
| 1993 | 7,292 | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 7,433 | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 7,923 | +6.6% |
| 1996 | 7,898 | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 8,089 | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 8,225 | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 8,578 | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 8,762 | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 8,908 | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 9,294 | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 9,993 | +7.5% |
| 2005 | 10,154 | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 10,418 | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 10,778 | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 11,301 | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 11,536 | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 11,508 | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 11,378 | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 11,200 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 11,324 | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 11,167 | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 10,930 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 10,687 | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 11,167 | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 10,235 | -8.3% |
| 2019 | 10,193 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 9,932 | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 10,011 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 10,022 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 10,021 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 10,388 | +3.7% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 10,388 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 46,016, 23% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 10,388 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50,688, 20% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4,183 | 3,877 | 4,782 | 10 |
| 1980s | 5,686 | 5,097 | 6,275 | 10 |
| 1990s | 7,449 | 6,448 | 8,225 | 9 |
| 2000s | 9,972 | 8,578 | 11,536 | 10 |
| 2010s | 10,979 | 10,193 | 11,508 | 10 |
| 2020s | 10,075 | 9,932 | 10,388 | 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 teachers in primary education, both sexes in Lesotho?
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Lesotho was 10,388 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 11,536 in 2009.
- What is the lowest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,877 in 1971.
- How does Lesotho rank for teachers in primary education, both sexes?
- Lesotho ranks 137th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is teachers in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. 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, published as part of Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release