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 13.1% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
13.1%
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
41st
of 139 countries
All-time high
46.7%
in 1971
All-time low
12.9%
in 2013
Years of data
36
1971–2016

Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Lesotho, 1971–2016

10203040501971199320161971: 46.7 %1973: 44.5 %1977: 41.4 %1978: 40.3 %1979: 39.7 %1980: 39.4 %1981: 38.1 %1982: 35.3 %1983: 35.5 %1984: 36 %1985: 33.9 %1986: 34.5 %1991: 33.9 %1992: 34.3 %1993: 36.7 %1994: 35.4 %1996: 35.1 %1998: 39.3 %1999: 39.4 %2000: 30 %2001: 27.5 %2002: 25.3 %2003: 21.8 %2004: 20.1 %2005: 18.1 %2006: 16.4 %2007: 18.5 %2008: 17 %2009: 16.1 %2010: 13.6 %2011: 13 %2012: 13 %2013: 12.9 %2014: 13.7 %2015: 13.5 %2016: 13.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2016, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Lesotho stood at 13.1%.

The figure is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 20.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Lesotho peaked at 46.7% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 12.9%, in 2013.

Lesotho ranks 41st of 139 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 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, both sexes (%) in Lesotho, 1971 to 2016.
Year % Change
1971 46.7%
1973 44.5% -4.8%
1977 41.4% -6.9%
1978 40.3% -2.7%
1979 39.7% -1.6%
1980 39.4% -0.8%
1981 38.1% -3.1%
1982 35.3% -7.4%
1983 35.5% +0.3%
1984 36.0% +1.6%
1985 33.9% -5.9%
1986 34.5% +1.9%
1991 33.9% -1.7%
1992 34.3% +1.0%
1993 36.7% +6.9%
1994 35.4% -3.4%
1996 35.1% -0.8%
1998 39.3% +11.8%
1999 39.4% +0.4%
2000 30.0% -23.8%
2001 27.5% -8.3%
2002 25.3% -8.2%
2003 21.8% -13.5%
2004 20.1% -7.8%
2005 18.1% -10.2%
2006 16.4% -9.1%
2007 18.5% +12.3%
2008 17.0% -7.9%
2009 16.1% -5.3%
2010 13.6% -15.6%
2011 13.0% -4.4%
2012 13.0% +0.4%
2013 12.9% -1.0%
2014 13.7% +6.0%
2015 13.5% -1.2%
2016 13.1% -3.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 42.5% 39.7% 46.7% 5
1980s 36.1% 33.9% 39.4% 7
1990s 36.3% 33.9% 39.4% 7
2000s 21.1% 16.1% 30.0% 10
2010s 13.3% 12.9% 13.7% 7

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 38 Malaysia 13.4% compare
  2. 39 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 13.2% compare
  3. 40 Cape Verde 13.1% compare
  4. 42 Bulgaria 12.8% compare
  5. 43 Turks and Caicos Islands 12.7% compare
  6. 44 Eswatini 12.7% compare

See the full ranking of 182 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 13.1% 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 46.7% in 1971.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 12.9% in 2013.
How does Lesotho rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
Lesotho ranks 41st out of 139 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 20.4%. 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, both sexes (%). 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 10 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-adolescents-and-youth-of-primary-lower-secondary-and/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, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
182 places, 4,144 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/