Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Lesotho
Lesotho: Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals was 8.7% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Lesotho, 1987–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
In 2022, agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Lesotho stood at 8.7%. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Lesotho peaked at 56.0% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 2000.
Lesotho ranks 148th of 180 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 56.0% | — |
| 1988 | 52.6% | -6.0% |
| 1989 | 49.2% | -6.6% |
| 1990 | 45.6% | -7.2% |
| 1991 | 42.0% | -8.0% |
| 1992 | 38.3% | -8.9% |
| 1993 | 34.4% | -10.0% |
| 1994 | 30.5% | -11.5% |
| 1995 | 26.4% | -13.3% |
| 1996 | 22.2% | -15.8% |
| 1997 | 17.9% | -19.3% |
| 1998 | 13.5% | -24.7% |
| 1999 | 9.0% | -33.7% |
| 2000 | 8.7% | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 52.6% | 49.2% | 56.0% | 3 |
| 1990s | 28.0% | 9.0% | 45.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.7% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.7% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.7% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 3 |
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 water as a share of total water withdrawals in Lesotho?
- Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Lesotho was 8.7% in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 56.0% in 1987.
- What is the lowest agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Lesotho ranks 148th out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Agricultural water withdrawals as a percentage of total water withdrawals (which is the sum of water used for agriculture, industry and domestic purposes). Agricultural water is defined as the annual quantity of self-supplied water withdrawn for irrigation, livestock and aquaculture purposes.