Share of GDP from agriculture in Lesotho
Lesotho: Share of GDP from agriculture was 6.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
6.5%
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
100th
of 203 countries
All-time high
89.4%
in 1961
All-time low
3.8%
in 2015
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Share of GDP from agriculture in Lesotho, 1960–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, share of gdp from agriculture in Lesotho stood at 6.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% on the previous year and up 71.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of gdp from agriculture in Lesotho peaked at 89.4% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 2015.
Lesotho ranks 100th of 203 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of GDP from agriculture in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 88.2% | — |
| 1961 | 89.4% | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 88.2% | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 83.8% | -5.0% |
| 1964 | 81.7% | -2.5% |
| 1965 | 79.3% | -3.0% |
| 1966 | 55.4% | -30.2% |
| 1967 | 46.0% | -16.8% |
| 1968 | 46.4% | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 42.2% | -9.2% |
| 1970 | 43.3% | +2.7% |
| 1971 | 27.9% | -35.5% |
| 1972 | 43.0% | +53.9% |
| 1973 | 49.5% | +15.2% |
| 1974 | 39.4% | -20.5% |
| 1975 | 36.5% | -7.3% |
| 1976 | 30.8% | -15.8% |
| 1977 | 37.6% | +22.2% |
| 1978 | 30.3% | -19.3% |
| 1979 | 34.3% | +12.9% |
| 1980 | 22.4% | -34.5% |
| 1981 | 24.3% | +8.5% |
| 1982 | 16.7% | -31.6% |
| 1983 | 16.3% | -2.4% |
| 1984 | 15.2% | -6.4% |
| 1985 | 16.0% | +5.4% |
| 1986 | 15.8% | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 14.3% | -10.0% |
| 1988 | 14.0% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 12.6% | -9.8% |
| 1990 | 12.2% | -3.7% |
| 1991 | 7.3% | -39.8% |
| 1992 | 9.1% | +23.9% |
| 1993 | 8.3% | -8.2% |
| 1994 | 8.3% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 8.8% | +6.3% |
| 1996 | 7.7% | -12.4% |
| 1997 | 7.0% | -8.9% |
| 1998 | 8.3% | +18.8% |
| 1999 | 8.8% | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 7.8% | -10.9% |
| 2001 | 8.3% | +6.0% |
| 2002 | 6.4% | -22.9% |
| 2003 | 6.3% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 6.0% | -5.7% |
| 2005 | 5.7% | -5.2% |
| 2006 | 4.8% | -14.6% |
| 2007 | 4.9% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 4.9% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 5.5% | +12.4% |
| 2010 | 4.9% | -11.7% |
| 2011 | 4.5% | -6.5% |
| 2012 | 4.9% | +7.7% |
| 2013 | 5.1% | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 4.0% | -21.8% |
| 2015 | 3.8% | -4.5% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | +30.2% |
| 2017 | 5.0% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | -14.4% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 5.3% | +18.9% |
| 2021 | 6.0% | +12.2% |
| 2022 | 6.0% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 6.7% | +11.9% |
| 2024 | 6.6% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 6.5% | -2.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 6.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.6%, 39% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 6.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.8%, 31% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 70.1% | 42.2% | 89.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 37.3% | 27.9% | 49.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.8% | 12.6% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.6% | 7.0% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.1% | 4.8% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.6% | 3.8% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.2% | 5.3% | 6.7% | 6 |
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)
- 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)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of gdp from agriculture in Lesotho?
- Share of gdp from agriculture in Lesotho was 6.5% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of gdp from agriculture recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 89.4% in 1961.
- What is the lowest share of gdp from agriculture recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 2015.
- How does Lesotho rank for share of gdp from agriculture?
- Lesotho ranks 100th out of 203 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of gdp from agriculture rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 71.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of GDP from agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This is measured as the value added from agriculture, forestry and fishing products as a share of gross domestic product (GDP).