What is the difference in arable and permanent cropland between Botswana and Lesotho?

51,000 hectares, with Lesotho ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?

51 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2011.

Where does this data come from?

Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as Arable and permanent cropland (hectares). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Botswana vs Lesotho: Arable and permanent cropland

Botswana

261,000 hectares

in 2011

Lesotho

312,000 hectares

in 2011

Botswana rank

45th

Lesotho rank

44th

Arable and permanent cropland over time

Botswana
Lesotho

How they compare

Lesotho currently reports 312,000 hectares against 261,000 hectares in Botswana, a difference of 51,000 hectares.

That makes Lesotho's figure about 1.2 times Botswana's.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Botswana ahead.

Botswana ranks 45th and Lesotho ranks 44th of 52 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 3 and Lesotho in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Botswana	Lesotho	Difference	Ahead
1960s	400,556 hectares	361,222 hectares	39,333 hectares	Botswana
1970s	402,000 hectares	344,200 hectares	57,800 hectares	Botswana
1980s	407,700 hectares	305,500 hectares	102,200 hectares	Botswana
1990s	318,500 hectares	328,000 hectares	9,500 hectares	Lesotho
2000s	244,750 hectares	325,400 hectares	80,650 hectares	Lesotho
2010s	261,000 hectares	319,000 hectares	58,000 hectares	Lesotho

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher arable and permanent cropland, Botswana or Lesotho?: Lesotho, at 312,000 hectares against 261,000 hectares in Botswana as of 2011.
What is the difference in arable and permanent cropland between Botswana and Lesotho?: 51,000 hectares, with Lesotho ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?: 51 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2011.
How do Botswana and Lesotho rank globally for arable and permanent cropland?: Botswana ranks 45th and Lesotho ranks 44th of 52 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as Arable and permanent cropland (hectares). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Arable and permanent cropland (hectares)
Unit: hectares
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 58 places, 2,926 data points, 1961–2011
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

This land category is the sum of areas under “Arable land” and "Permanent crops”. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under