Literacy rate in Lesotho in 2024 — 90.45%. Ranked 20 in the world out of 29. Since 2000, the indicator has risen by 4.2 pp.
2000–2024 · % of population aged 15+
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Lesotho
| Year | % | Change, pp |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 90.45 | — |
| 2019 | 92.4 | +6.16 pp |
| 2018 | 86.24 | — |
| 2016 | 97.27 | — |
| 2006 | 66.1 | — |
| 2000 | 86.25 | — |
The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages
South Africa
91.15
Lesotho
90.45
The share of the population aged 15 and older able to read and write a short simple statement about their everyday life. The UNESCO definition is deliberately minimal — it is the threshold of functional literacy, not an assessment of the quality of education. In most countries the data come from censuses and surveys, so they are updated irregularly.
Important: The series is incomplete: values are published only for the years in which a census or a literacy survey was conducted.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), license CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.
What share of their potential a child born today will manage to realize.
Education Population with tertiary educationWhat share of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Education Primary completion rateWhat share of children reach the last grade of primary school.
Education Primary school enrollmentThe net enrollment rate: the share of children of school age attending primary school.