Total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes (%) (secondary) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes (%) (secondary) was 41.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes in Lesotho, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes in Lesotho is 41.6%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% on the previous year and down 33.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes in Lesotho peaked at 67.5% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 26.5%, in 1977.
Lesotho ranks 162nd of 184 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes (%) (secondary) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 28.4% | — |
| 1973 | 30.4% | +7.1% |
| 1977 | 26.5% | -13.1% |
| 1978 | 39.7% | +49.9% |
| 1979 | 41.7% | +5.2% |
| 1980 | 48.2% | +15.6% |
| 1981 | 53.3% | +10.7% |
| 1982 | 54.0% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 50.6% | -6.3% |
| 1984 | 53.7% | +6.1% |
| 1985 | 53.8% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 56.2% | +4.4% |
| 1991 | 56.3% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 52.8% | -6.3% |
| 1993 | 50.0% | -5.3% |
| 1994 | 52.6% | +5.2% |
| 1996 | 56.5% | +7.3% |
| 1998 | 60.2% | +6.6% |
| 1999 | 64.8% | +7.7% |
| 2000 | 51.0% | -21.2% |
| 2001 | 52.8% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 53.1% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 55.8% | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 61.0% | +9.2% |
| 2005 | 60.0% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 61.1% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 59.1% | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 59.8% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 61.0% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 66.4% | +9.0% |
| 2011 | 67.5% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 67.2% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 63.1% | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 62.1% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 65.0% | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 65.0% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 64.1% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 57.1% | -11.0% |
| 2019 | 51.6% | -9.6% |
| 2020 | 46.8% | -9.3% |
| 2021 | 47.3% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 47.0% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 40.6% | -13.7% |
| 2024 | 41.6% | +2.6% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 41.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 62.4%, 67% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 41.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 45.0%, 93% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes (%) (secondary) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | +49.9% | 26.5% | 39.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 33.3% | 26.5% | 41.7% | 5 |
| 1980s | 52.8% | 48.2% | 56.2% | 7 |
| 1990s | 56.2% | 50.0% | 64.8% | 7 |
| 2000s | 57.5% | 51.0% | 61.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.9% | 51.6% | 67.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.7% | 40.6% | 47.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
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, upper secondary, both sexes in Lesotho?
- Total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes in Lesotho was 41.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 67.5% in 2011.
- What is the lowest total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.5% in 1977.
- How does Lesotho rank for total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes?
- Lesotho ranks 162nd out of 184 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.0%. 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 Total net enrolment rate, upper secondary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release