Total net enrolment rate, primary, male (%) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Total net enrolment rate, primary, male (%) was 67.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Total net enrolment rate, primary, male in Lesotho, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, total net enrolment rate, primary, male in Lesotho stood at 67.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total net enrolment rate, primary, male in Lesotho peaked at 84.3% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 45.0%, in 1972.
Lesotho ranks 167th 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, male (%) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 47.1% | — |
| 1972 | 45.0% | -4.5% |
| 1973 | 46.3% | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 53.7% | +15.9% |
| 1976 | 55.1% | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 56.1% | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 51.0% | -9.0% |
| 1979 | 51.9% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 52.7% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 53.4% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 57.3% | +7.3% |
| 1983 | 56.6% | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 56.9% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 58.5% | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 58.0% | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 61.1% | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 62.1% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 61.4% | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 60.2% | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 61.1% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 61.1% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 58.9% | -3.7% |
| 1994 | 59.6% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 58.6% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 58.3% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 52.8% | -9.4% |
| 1999 | 50.9% | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 71.8% | +41.0% |
| 2001 | 74.0% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 77.0% | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 79.5% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 79.7% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 81.3% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 84.1% | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 82.6% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 83.1% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 82.1% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 83.3% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 84.0% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 84.0% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 83.9% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 82.7% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 82.2% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 82.6% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 84.3% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 78.6% | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 74.1% | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 75.0% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 69.0% | -8.0% |
| 2022 | 70.2% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 68.9% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 67.4% | -2.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 67.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 91.4%, 74% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 67.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 81.8%, 82% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total net enrolment rate, primary, male (%) 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 | +41.0% | 50.9% | 71.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 50.8% | 45.0% | 56.1% | 8 |
| 1980s | 57.8% | 52.7% | 62.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 58.0% | 50.9% | 61.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 79.5% | 71.8% | 84.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.0% | 74.1% | 84.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.1% | 67.4% | 75.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 164 Solomon Islands 70.5% compare
- 165 Mali 69.1% compare
- 166 Central African Republic 68.5% compare
- 168 Senegal 67.1% compare
- 169 Cape Verde 67.0% compare
- 170 Burkina Faso 65.2% 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, male in Lesotho?
- Total net enrolment rate, primary, male in Lesotho was 67.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total net enrolment rate, primary, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 84.3% in 2017.
- What is the lowest total net enrolment rate, primary, male recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.0% in 1972.
- How does Lesotho rank for total net enrolment rate, primary, male?
- Lesotho ranks 167th out of 180 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total net enrolment rate, primary, male rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.5%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release