Arable land in Lesotho
Lesotho: Arable land was 356,748 hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Arable 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 hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, arable land in Lesotho stood at 356,748 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 31.4% on the previous year and up 43.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Lesotho peaked at 434,700 hectares in 2018 and was at its lowest, 150,400 hectares, in 2019.
That places Lesotho 133rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 358,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 353,000 hectares | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 353,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 355,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 355,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 360,000 hectares | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 360,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 365,000 hectares | +1.4% |
| 1969 | 365,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 368,000 hectares | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 360,000 hectares | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 355,000 hectares | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 355,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 355,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 372,000 hectares | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 355,000 hectares | -4.6% |
| 1977 | 288,000 hectares | -18.9% |
| 1978 | 289,000 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 305,000 hectares | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 292,000 hectares | -4.3% |
| 1981 | 298,000 hectares | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 288,000 hectares | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 283,000 hectares | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 297,000 hectares | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 304,000 hectares | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 287,000 hectares | -5.6% |
| 1987 | 326,000 hectares | +13.6% |
| 1988 | 339,000 hectares | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 301,000 hectares | -11.2% |
| 1990 | 317,000 hectares | +5.3% |
| 1991 | 319,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 332,000 hectares | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 330,000 hectares | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 325,000 hectares | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 320,000 hectares | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 322,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 325,000 hectares | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 325,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 325,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 330,000 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 330,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 300,000 hectares | -9.1% |
| 2003 | 300,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 310,000 hectares | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 323,000 hectares | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 303,000 hectares | -6.2% |
| 2007 | 325,000 hectares | +7.3% |
| 2008 | 358,000 hectares | +10.2% |
| 2009 | 335,000 hectares | -6.4% |
| 2010 | 322,000 hectares | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 308,000 hectares | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 281,300 hectares | -8.7% |
| 2013 | 248,100 hectares | -11.8% |
| 2014 | 272,300 hectares | +9.8% |
| 2015 | 219,000 hectares | -19.6% |
| 2016 | 352,000 hectares | +60.7% |
| 2017 | 419,400 hectares | +19.1% |
| 2018 | 434,700 hectares | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 150,400 hectares | -65.4% |
| 2020 | 345,400 hectares | +129.7% |
| 2021 | 225,400 hectares | -34.7% |
| 2022 | 271,400 hectares | +20.4% |
| 2023 | 356,748 hectares | +31.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 356,748 hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.60 million hectares, 14% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 356,748 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.83 million hectares, 13% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Arable land 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% | 150,400 hectares | 345,400 hectares |
| 2019 | -65.4% | 434,700 hectares | 150,400 hectares |
| 2016 | +60.7% | 219,000 hectares | 352,000 hectares |
| 2021 | -34.7% | 345,400 hectares | 225,400 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 358,222 hectares | 353,000 hectares | 365,000 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 340,200 hectares | 288,000 hectares | 372,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 301,500 hectares | 283,000 hectares | 339,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 324,000 hectares | 317,000 hectares | 332,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 321,400 hectares | 300,000 hectares | 358,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 300,720 hectares | 150,400 hectares | 434,700 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 299,737 hectares | 225,400 hectares | 356,748 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 130 Switzerland 396,421 hectares compare
- 131 Guinea-Bissau 395,530 hectares compare
- 132 Bosnia and Herzegovina 370,000 hectares compare
- 134 Papua New Guinea 330,000 hectares compare
- 135 Gabon 325,000 hectares compare
- 136 Georgia 304,000 hectares 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 in Lesotho?
- Arable land in Lesotho was 356,748 hectares 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 arable land recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 434,700 hectares in 2018.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 150,400 hectares in 2019.
- How does Lesotho rank for arable land?
- Lesotho ranks 133rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land 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 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 Arable land (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Arable land (in hectares) 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.