Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Lesotho

Lesotho: Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary was 15.3% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
15.3%
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
33rd
of 136 countries
All-time high
55.1%
in 1973
All-time low
15.3%
in 2011
Years of data
35
1973–2016

Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Lesotho, 1973–2016

20304050601973199420161973: 55.1 %1977: 52.2 %1978: 51.8 %1979: 51.2 %1980: 50.7 %1981: 48.7 %1982: 45.4 %1983: 45.2 %1984: 45.3 %1985: 42.9 %1986: 43.2 %1991: 41.6 %1992: 41.3 %1993: 43 %1994: 41.4 %1996: 40.4 %1998: 43.8 %1999: 43.6 %2000: 32.9 %2001: 29.9 %2002: 27.6 %2003: 24.4 %2004: 22.5 %2005: 20.6 %2006: 19 %2007: 20.7 %2008: 19.4 %2009: 19 %2010: 16.1 %2011: 15.3 %2012: 15.4 %2013: 15.5 %2014: 16.2 %2015: 15.9 %2016: 15.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Lesotho recorded 15.3% for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in 2016.

The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 19.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Lesotho peaked at 55.1% in 1973 and was at its lowest, 15.3%, in 2011.

That places Lesotho 33rd out of 136 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Lesotho, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, male (%) in Lesotho, 1973 to 2016.
Year % Change
1973 55.1%
1977 52.2% -5.2%
1978 51.8% -0.8%
1979 51.2% -1.3%
1980 50.7% -1.0%
1981 48.7% -3.9%
1982 45.4% -6.9%
1983 45.2% -0.4%
1984 45.3% +0.2%
1985 42.9% -5.2%
1986 43.2% +0.5%
1991 41.6% -3.6%
1992 41.3% -0.9%
1993 43.0% +4.3%
1994 41.4% -3.8%
1996 40.4% -2.5%
1998 43.8% +8.6%
1999 43.6% -0.6%
2000 32.9% -24.4%
2001 29.9% -9.1%
2002 27.6% -7.8%
2003 24.4% -11.5%
2004 22.5% -7.8%
2005 20.6% -8.5%
2006 19.0% -7.9%
2007 20.7% +9.2%
2008 19.4% -6.5%
2009 19.0% -1.7%
2010 16.1% -15.3%
2011 15.3% -5.0%
2012 15.4% +0.4%
2013 15.5% +0.5%
2014 16.2% +5.0%
2015 15.9% -2.3%
2016 15.3% -3.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 52.6% 51.2% 55.1% 4
1980s 45.9% 42.9% 50.7% 7
1990s 42.2% 40.4% 43.8% 7
2000s 23.6% 19.0% 32.9% 10
2010s 15.7% 15.3% 16.2% 7

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 30 Republic of Moldova 16.4% compare
  2. 31 Cayman Islands 15.9% compare
  3. 32 Bhutan 15.7% compare
  4. 34 Malaysia 15.1% compare
  5. 35 Paraguay 14.9% compare
  6. 36 South Africa 14.7% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More reference data data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Lesotho?
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Lesotho was 15.3% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 55.1% in 1973.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 15.3% in 2011.
How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
Lesotho ranks 33rd out of 136 countries with data for 2016.
Is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is down 19.2%. 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 rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Lesotho. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-adolescents-and-youth-of-primary-lower-secondary-and-4/lesotho/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,045 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Proportion of children, adolescents, and youth in the official age range for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education who are not enrolled in primary, lower secondary, or upper secondary education. To calculate the indicator, the number of students of the official age for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education enrolled in primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education is subtracted from the total population of primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. The result is expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/