Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho
Lesotho: Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre was 11.75 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
11.75 hectares per square kilometre
Change on year
up 31.4%
World rank
87th
of 206 countries
All-time high
14.32 hectares per square kilometre
in 2018
All-time low
4.95 hectares per square kilometre
in 2019
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho is 11.75 hectares per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 31.4% on the previous year and up 43.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho peaked at 14.32 hectares per square kilometre in 2018 and was at its lowest, 4.95 hectares per square kilometre, in 2019.
Lesotho ranks 87th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 11.79 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 11.63 hectares per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 11.63 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 11.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 11.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 11.86 hectares per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 11.86 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 12.02 hectares per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1969 | 12.02 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 12.12 hectares per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 11.86 hectares per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 11.69 hectares per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 11.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 11.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 12.25 hectares per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 11.69 hectares per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 1977 | 9.49 hectares per square kilometre | -18.9% |
| 1978 | 9.52 hectares per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 10.05 hectares per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 9.62 hectares per square kilometre | -4.3% |
| 1981 | 9.82 hectares per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 9.49 hectares per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 9.32 hectares per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 9.78 hectares per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 10.01 hectares per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 9.45 hectares per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 1987 | 10.74 hectares per square kilometre | +13.6% |
| 1988 | 11.17 hectares per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 9.91 hectares per square kilometre | -11.2% |
| 1990 | 10.44 hectares per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1991 | 10.51 hectares per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 10.94 hectares per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 10.87 hectares per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 10.7 hectares per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 10.54 hectares per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 10.61 hectares per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 10.7 hectares per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 10.7 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 10.7 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 10.87 hectares per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 10.87 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 9.88 hectares per square kilometre | -9.1% |
| 2003 | 9.88 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 10.21 hectares per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 10.64 hectares per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 9.98 hectares per square kilometre | -6.2% |
| 2007 | 10.7 hectares per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 2008 | 11.79 hectares per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 2009 | 11.03 hectares per square kilometre | -6.4% |
| 2010 | 10.61 hectares per square kilometre | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 10.14 hectares per square kilometre | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 9.27 hectares per square kilometre | -8.7% |
| 2013 | 8.17 hectares per square kilometre | -11.8% |
| 2014 | 8.97 hectares per square kilometre | +9.8% |
| 2015 | 7.21 hectares per square kilometre | -19.6% |
| 2016 | 11.59 hectares per square kilometre | +60.7% |
| 2017 | 13.81 hectares per square kilometre | +19.1% |
| 2018 | 14.32 hectares per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 4.95 hectares per square kilometre | -65.4% |
| 2020 | 11.38 hectares per square kilometre | +129.7% |
| 2021 | 7.42 hectares per square kilometre | -34.7% |
| 2022 | 8.94 hectares per square kilometre | +20.4% |
| 2023 | 11.75 hectares per square kilometre | +31.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 11.75 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.39 hectares per square kilometre, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 11.75 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.33 hectares per square kilometre, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +129.7% | 4.95 hectares per square kilometre | 11.38 hectares per square kilometre |
| 2019 | -65.4% | 14.32 hectares per square kilometre | 4.95 hectares per square kilometre |
| 2016 | +60.7% | 7.21 hectares per square kilometre | 11.59 hectares per square kilometre |
| 2021 | -34.7% | 11.38 hectares per square kilometre | 7.42 hectares per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 11.8 hectares per square kilometre | 11.63 hectares per square kilometre | 12.02 hectares per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 11.21 hectares per square kilometre | 9.49 hectares per square kilometre | 12.25 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.93 hectares per square kilometre | 9.32 hectares per square kilometre | 11.17 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.67 hectares per square kilometre | 10.44 hectares per square kilometre | 10.94 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.59 hectares per square kilometre | 9.88 hectares per square kilometre | 11.79 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.91 hectares per square kilometre | 4.95 hectares per square kilometre | 14.32 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.87 hectares per square kilometre | 7.42 hectares per square kilometre | 11.75 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 84 Nicaragua 12.49 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 85 Cape Verde 12.41 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 86 Afghanistan 12.03 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 88 China 11.55 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 89 Paraguay 11.52 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 90 Iraq 11.45 hectares per square kilometre 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 arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho?
- Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho was 11.75 hectares per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest arable land (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 14.32 hectares per square kilometre in 2018.
- What is the lowest arable land (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.95 hectares per square kilometre in 2019.
- How does Lesotho rank for arable land (hectares), per square kilometre?
- Lesotho ranks 87th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land (hectares), per square kilometre rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 43.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Arable land (hectares) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Arable land (hectares) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Arable land 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)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Arable land (hectares) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.