Agricultural land in Lesotho
Lesotho: Agricultural land was 77.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 77.8% for agricultural land in 2023.
The figure is up 3.8% on the previous year and up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Lesotho peaked at 85.1% in 1966 and was at its lowest, 71.0%, in 2019.
Lesotho ranks 8th of 210 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 85.0% | — |
| 1962 | 84.8% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 84.8% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 84.9% | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 84.9% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 85.1% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 85.1% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 83.4% | -1.9% |
| 1969 | 81.6% | -2.2% |
| 1970 | 79.9% | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 77.9% | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 77.7% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 77.7% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 77.7% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 78.3% | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 77.7% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 75.5% | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 75.5% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 76.1% | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 75.6% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 75.8% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 75.5% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 75.3% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 75.8% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 76.0% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 75.5% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 76.7% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 77.2% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 75.9% | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 76.4% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 76.5% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 76.9% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 76.9% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 76.7% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 76.5% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 76.6% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 76.7% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 76.7% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 76.7% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 76.9% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 76.9% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 75.9% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 75.9% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 76.2% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 76.6% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 76.0% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 76.7% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 77.8% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 77.0% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 76.6% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 76.2% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 75.3% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 74.2% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 75.0% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 73.2% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 77.6% | +6.0% |
| 2017 | 79.6% | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 80.1% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 71.0% | -11.5% |
| 2020 | 77.4% | +9.1% |
| 2021 | 73.4% | -5.1% |
| 2022 | 74.9% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 77.8% | +3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 84.4% | 81.6% | 85.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 77.4% | 75.5% | 79.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 75.9% | 75.3% | 77.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.7% | 76.4% | 76.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.6% | 75.9% | 77.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.9% | 71.0% | 80.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.9% | 73.4% | 77.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 5 Saudi Arabia 80.8% compare
- 6 South Africa 79.4% compare
- 7 Kazakhstan 79.4% compare
- 9 Rwanda 76.3% compare
- 10 Nigeria 76.2% compare
- 11 Republic of Moldova 74.1% compare
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 77.8% in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 85.1% in 1966.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.0% in 2019.
- How does Lesotho rank for agricultural land?
- Lesotho ranks 8th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Agricultural land (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 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.