Total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes (%) (enrolment both) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes (%) (enrolment both) was 67.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes in Lesotho, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes in Lesotho is 67.8%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 2.1% on the previous year and down 19.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes in Lesotho peaked at 86.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 54.0%, in 1999.
That places Lesotho 192nd out of 205 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes (%) (enrolment both) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 60.8% | — |
| 1971 | 56.8% | -6.6% |
| 1972 | 57.6% | +1.4% |
| 1973 | 58.3% | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 66.6% | +14.3% |
| 1976 | 67.9% | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 69.4% | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 63.0% | -9.3% |
| 1979 | 64.2% | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 64.2% | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 64.1% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 67.7% | +5.8% |
| 1983 | 66.5% | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 66.5% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 67.8% | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 66.7% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 70.3% | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 70.7% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 69.3% | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 67.5% | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 68.2% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 67.8% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 64.9% | -4.2% |
| 1994 | 65.0% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 63.1% | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 63.0% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 56.4% | -10.4% |
| 1999 | 54.0% | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 74.5% | +38.0% |
| 2001 | 76.8% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 79.6% | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 82.0% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 81.8% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 83.3% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 86.0% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 84.0% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 84.8% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 84.1% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 84.8% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 85.1% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 85.2% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 85.4% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 84.1% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 83.3% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 83.8% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 85.2% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 79.8% | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 77.1% | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 75.7% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 69.7% | -8.0% |
| 2022 | 70.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 69.3% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 67.8% | -2.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 67.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 94.1%, 72% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 67.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.5%, 80% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes (%) (enrolment both) in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +38.0% | 54.0% | 74.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 62.7% | 56.8% | 69.4% | 9 |
| 1980s | 67.4% | 64.1% | 70.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.3% | 54.0% | 68.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 81.7% | 74.5% | 86.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.4% | 77.1% | 85.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.6% | 67.8% | 75.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 189 Solomon Islands 69.9% compare
- 190 Guinea-Bissau 69.5% compare
- 191 Yemen 69.4% compare
- 193 Mali 66.0% compare
- 194 Burkina Faso 65.7% compare
- 195 Angola 63.2% compare
More education data for Lesotho
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 68.25 (2024)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 67.83 (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes in Lesotho?
- Total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes in Lesotho was 67.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 86.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.0% in 1999.
- How does Lesotho rank for total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes?
- Lesotho ranks 192nd out of 205 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.3%. 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 Total net enrolment rate, primary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release