Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho

Lesotho: Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary was 15,942 number in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
15,942 number
Change on year
down 12.0%
World rank
69th
of 148 countries
All-time high
95,018 number
in 1999
All-time low
15,170 number
in 2013
Years of data
36
1972–2016

Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho, 1972–2016

20.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k1972199420161972: 43.4k number1973: 41.7k number1977: 39.5k number1978: 42.0k number1979: 42.7k number1980: 45.9k number1981: 48.1k number1982: 44.3k number1983: 45.4k number1984: 50.4k number1985: 46.9k number1986: 52.0k number1991: 58.6k number1992: 60.4k number1993: 68.9k number1994: 68.8k number1996: 72.9k number1998: 92.0k number1999: 95.0k number2000: 60.2k number2001: 53.6k number2002: 46.5k number2003: 36.1k number2004: 34.1k number2005: 27.6k number2006: 22.9k number2007: 28.1k number2008: 24.4k number2009: 20.9k number2010: 17.4k number2011: 16.8k number2012: 17.3k number2013: 15.2k number2014: 17.4k number2015: 18.1k number2016: 15.9k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

Lesotho recorded 15,942 number for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in 2016.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.0% on the previous year and down 30.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho peaked at 95,018 number in 1999 and was at its lowest, 15,170 number, in 2013.

Lesotho ranks 69th of 148 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, female (number) in Lesotho, 1972 to 2016.
Year number Change
1972 43,414 number
1973 41,675 number -4.0%
1977 39,498 number -5.2%
1978 42,004 number +6.3%
1979 42,737 number +1.7%
1980 45,944 number +7.5%
1981 48,132 number +4.8%
1982 44,254 number -8.1%
1983 45,417 number +2.6%
1984 50,439 number +11.1%
1985 46,936 number -6.9%
1986 51,967 number +10.7%
1991 58,584 number +12.7%
1992 60,425 number +3.1%
1993 68,949 number +14.1%
1994 68,763 number -0.3%
1996 72,929 number +6.1%
1998 92,023 number +26.2%
1999 95,018 number +3.3%
2000 60,173 number -36.7%
2001 53,599 number -10.9%
2002 46,489 number -13.3%
2003 36,098 number -22.4%
2004 34,107 number -5.5%
2005 27,615 number -19.0%
2006 22,866 number -17.2%
2007 28,141 number +23.1%
2008 24,366 number -13.4%
2009 20,933 number -14.1%
2010 17,449 number -16.6%
2011 16,776 number -3.9%
2012 17,271 number +3.0%
2013 15,170 number -12.2%
2014 17,423 number +14.9%
2015 18,109 number +3.9%
2016 15,942 number -12.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 41,866 number 39,498 number 43,414 number 5
1980s 47,584 number 44,254 number 51,967 number 7
1990s 73,813 number 58,584 number 95,018 number 7
2000s 35,439 number 20,933 number 60,173 number 10
2010s 16,877 number 15,170 number 18,109 number 7

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 66 Australia 20,316 number compare
  2. 67 Argentina 18,743 number compare
  3. 68 Eswatini 17,634 number compare
  4. 70 Botswana 15,685 number compare
  5. 71 Ecuador 15,074 number compare
  6. 72 Armenia 15,060 number compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More reference data data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho?
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho was 15,942 number in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 95,018 number in 1999.
What is the lowest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 15,170 number in 2013.
How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary?
Lesotho ranks 69th out of 148 countries with data for 2016.
Is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Lesotho data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-children-and-adolescents-of-primary-and-lower-secondary-school-age-female/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
193 places, 4,451 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Number of children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age who are not enrolled or attending school during in a given academic year. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/