Total net enrolment rate, primary, female (%) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Total net enrolment rate, primary, female (%) was 68.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Total net enrolment rate, primary, female in Lesotho, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total net enrolment rate, primary, female in Lesotho is 68.2%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 2.1% on the previous year and down 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total net enrolment rate, primary, female in Lesotho peaked at 87.9% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 57.1%, in 1999.
Lesotho ranks 165th of 180 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Total net enrolment rate, primary, female (%) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 74.9% | — |
| 1972 | 70.4% | -6.0% |
| 1973 | 70.3% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 79.6% | +13.1% |
| 1976 | 80.7% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 82.7% | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 74.9% | -9.4% |
| 1979 | 76.6% | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 75.7% | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 74.8% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 78.3% | +4.7% |
| 1983 | 76.4% | -2.4% |
| 1984 | 76.2% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 77.1% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 75.5% | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 79.6% | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 79.4% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 77.2% | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 74.9% | -3.1% |
| 1991 | 75.4% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 74.4% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 70.9% | -4.7% |
| 1994 | 70.4% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 67.7% | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 67.6% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 60.0% | -11.3% |
| 1999 | 57.1% | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 77.2% | +35.3% |
| 2001 | 79.7% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 82.2% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 84.6% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 83.9% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 85.4% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 87.9% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 85.5% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 86.5% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 86.1% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 86.3% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 86.3% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 86.5% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 87.0% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 85.4% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 84.5% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 85.1% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 86.1% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 81.0% | -5.9% |
| 2019 | 80.2% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 76.4% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 70.4% | -7.9% |
| 2022 | 71.0% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 69.7% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 68.2% | -2.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 68.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 90.7%, 75% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 68.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 85.4%, 80% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total net enrolment rate, primary, female (%) 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 | +35.3% | 57.1% | 77.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 76.2% | 70.3% | 82.7% | 8 |
| 1980s | 77.0% | 74.8% | 79.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 68.7% | 57.1% | 75.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 83.9% | 77.2% | 87.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 84.8% | 80.2% | 87.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.2% | 68.2% | 76.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 162 Chad 69.4% compare
- 163 Solomon Islands 69.2% compare
- 164 Guinea-Bissau 68.3% compare
- 166 Burkina Faso 66.3% compare
- 167 Yemen 65.1% compare
- 168 Angola 63.1% 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, female in Lesotho?
- Total net enrolment rate, primary, female in Lesotho was 68.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total net enrolment rate, primary, female recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 87.9% in 2006.
- What is the lowest total net enrolment rate, primary, female recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.1% in 1999.
- How does Lesotho rank for total net enrolment rate, primary, female?
- Lesotho ranks 165th out of 180 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total net enrolment rate, primary, female rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.1%. 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, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release