Agricultural land in Lesotho
Lesotho: Agricultural land was 2.31 million hectares in 2011. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Lesotho, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 2.31 million hectares for agricultural land in 2011.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Lesotho peaked at 2.58 million hectares in 1966 and was at its lowest, 2.29 million hectares, in 1983.
That places Lesotho 41st out of 53 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.58 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 2.58 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 2.58 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 2.58 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 2.58 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 2.58 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 2.58 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 2.53 million hectares | -1.9% |
| 1969 | 2.48 million hectares | -2.2% |
| 1970 | 2.43 million hectares | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 2.36 million hectares | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 2.36 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 2.36 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 2.36 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 2.38 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 2.36 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 2.29 million hectares | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 2.29 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 2.31 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 2.30 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 2.30 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 2.29 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 2.29 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 2.30 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 2.31 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 2.29 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 2.33 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 2.34 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 2.31 million hectares | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 2.32 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 2.32 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 2.34 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 2.33 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 2.33 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 2.32 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 2.33 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 2.33 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 2.33 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 2.33 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 2.33 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 2.33 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 2.30 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 2.30 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 2.31 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 2.33 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 2.31 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 2.33 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 2.36 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 2.34 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 2.33 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 2.31 million hectares | -0.6% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 2.31 million hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12.40 million hectares, 19% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 2.31 million hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.77 million hectares, 20% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.56 million hectares | 2.48 million hectares | 2.58 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.35 million hectares | 2.29 million hectares | 2.43 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.31 million hectares | 2.29 million hectares | 2.34 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.33 million hectares | 2.32 million hectares | 2.34 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.33 million hectares | 2.30 million hectares | 2.36 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.32 million hectares | 2.31 million hectares | 2.33 million hectares | 2 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More agriculture & rural data for Lesotho
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 5.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0649 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 70.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6715 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5533 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 5.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Lesotho?
- Agricultural land in Lesotho was 2.31 million hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 2.58 million hectares in 1966.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.29 million hectares in 1983.
- How does Lesotho rank for agricultural land?
- Lesotho ranks 41st out of 53 countries with data for 2011.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Agricultural land (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. 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 market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.