Lesotho's trained teachers in primary education, female (% of female teachers) was 99.61% in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 24.34 percentage points from 75.27% in 2013.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 99.61% | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 88.58% | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 75.27% | 2013 |
| Highest | 99.61% | 2023 |
| Lowest | 62.12% | 2009 |
| Average since 2014 | 91.35% | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 80.53% | 1999 |
What the numbers say
In 2023, Lesotho's trained teachers in primary education, female (% of female teachers) rose 1.31 percentage points on 2022 (from 98.3% to 99.61%).
Across the 19 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2022), the average change was +1.49 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.02 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.79 percentage points in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.8 percentage points in 2003. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 2.38 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 95% of the movement over 9 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2023, Lesotho had the 8th highest value of the 13 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Lesotho | 99.61% | 2023 |
| World | 83% | 2024 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 66.12% | 2022 |
| Lower middle income | 83.32% | 2024 |
Closest to Lesotho in the 2023 ranking
- Tunisia — 4th of 13: 100%
- United States — 5th of 13: 100%
- West Bank and Gaza — 6th of 13: 100%
- Singapore — 8th of 13: 98.09%
- St. Lucia — 9th of 13: 81.29%
- Cameroon — 10th of 13: 75.91%
What this measures
Trained teachers in primary education are the percentage of primary school teachers who have received the minimum organized teacher training (pre-service or in-service) required for teaching in a given country.
Limitations: This indicator does not take into account differences in teachers' experiences and status, teaching methods, teaching materials, and classroom conditions - all factors that affect the quality of teaching and learning. Some teachers without formal training may have acquired equivalent pedagogical skills through professional experience. In addition, national standards regarding teacher qualifications and pedagogical skills may vary.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 23 values
| Year | Trained teachers in primary education, female (% of female teachers) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 99.61 |
| 2022 | 98.3 |
| 2021 | 98.48 |
| 2020 | 97.11 |
| 2019 | 92.28 |
| 2018 | 88.58 |
| 2017 | no data |
| 2016 | 87.49 |
| 2015 | 81.7 |
| 2014 | 78.63 |
| 2013 |
Trained teachers in primary education, female (% of female teachers) in nearby economies
- Benin — 76.87% (2021)
- Botswana — 99.89% (2022)
- Burkina Faso — 95.22% (2024)
- Burundi — 97.17% (2025)
- Cabo Verde — 100% (2022)
- Cameroon — 75.91% (2023)
- Côte d'Ivoire — 100% (2024)
- Eritrea — 78.74% (2022)
- Eswatini
More education data for Lesotho
- Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils — 309,480 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 80.18% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 78.6% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 81.75% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers — 10,388 (2024)
- Primary education, teachers (% female) — 74.46% (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Lesotho's trained teachers in primary education, female (% of female teachers)?
- 99.61% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1999?
- It is up 19.08 percentage points from 80.53% in 1999. The highest value was 99.61% in 2023 and the lowest 62.12% in 2009.
- How does Lesotho rank?
- 8th highest of 13 economies with data for 2023.
- Is the latest change in trained teachers in primary education, female (% of female teachers) unusual for Lesotho?
- In 2023, Lesotho's trained teachers in primary education, female (% of female teachers) rose 1.31 percentage points on 2022 (from 98.3% to 99.61%). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2022), the average change was +1.49 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.02 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.TCAQ.FE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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