Cereal yield (kg per hectare) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Cereal yield (kg per hectare) was 804.1 kg per hectare in 2023. ▼ Falling
Cereal yield in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in kg per hectare.
Analysis
In 2023, cereal yield in Lesotho stood at 804.1 kg per hectare.
The figure is up 10.3% on the previous year and up 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal yield in Lesotho peaked at 1,508 kg per hectare in 1977 and was at its lowest, 374.5 kg per hectare, in 2008.
That places Lesotho 168th out of 181 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Cereal yield (kg per hectare) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | kg per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 836.2 kg per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 814.7 kg per hectare | -2.6% |
| 1963 | 813.3 kg per hectare | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 809.6 kg per hectare | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 756.2 kg per hectare | -6.6% |
| 1966 | 799.3 kg per hectare | +5.7% |
| 1967 | 747 kg per hectare | -6.5% |
| 1968 | 680.2 kg per hectare | -8.9% |
| 1969 | 680.4 kg per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 605.5 kg per hectare | -11.0% |
| 1971 | 622.8 kg per hectare | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 375.1 kg per hectare | -39.8% |
| 1973 | 588 kg per hectare | +56.8% |
| 1974 | 909.5 kg per hectare | +54.7% |
| 1975 | 703.1 kg per hectare | -22.7% |
| 1976 | 640.1 kg per hectare | -9.0% |
| 1977 | 1,508 kg per hectare | +135.5% |
| 1978 | 1,402 kg per hectare | -7.0% |
| 1979 | 1,140 kg per hectare | -18.7% |
| 1980 | 959.8 kg per hectare | -15.8% |
| 1981 | 830.9 kg per hectare | -13.4% |
| 1982 | 664.4 kg per hectare | -20.0% |
| 1983 | 679.8 kg per hectare | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 648.9 kg per hectare | -4.5% |
| 1985 | 720.6 kg per hectare | +11.0% |
| 1986 | 679.4 kg per hectare | -5.7% |
| 1987 | 601.8 kg per hectare | -11.4% |
| 1988 | 831 kg per hectare | +38.1% |
| 1989 | 919.4 kg per hectare | +10.6% |
| 1990 | 1,037 kg per hectare | +12.8% |
| 1991 | 460.3 kg per hectare | -55.6% |
| 1992 | 612.1 kg per hectare | +33.0% |
| 1993 | 972.6 kg per hectare | +58.9% |
| 1994 | 818.2 kg per hectare | -15.9% |
| 1995 | 776.4 kg per hectare | -5.1% |
| 1996 | 1,184 kg per hectare | +52.4% |
| 1997 | 1,016 kg per hectare | -14.2% |
| 1998 | 1,353 kg per hectare | +33.2% |
| 1999 | 943.3 kg per hectare | -30.3% |
| 2000 | 718.8 kg per hectare | -23.8% |
| 2001 | 995.5 kg per hectare | +38.5% |
| 2002 | 736.3 kg per hectare | -26.0% |
| 2003 | 609.1 kg per hectare | -17.3% |
| 2004 | 595.4 kg per hectare | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 686.8 kg per hectare | +15.4% |
| 2006 | 490.8 kg per hectare | -28.5% |
| 2007 | 414.4 kg per hectare | -15.6% |
| 2008 | 374.5 kg per hectare | -9.6% |
| 2009 | 402.2 kg per hectare | +7.4% |
| 2010 | 909.1 kg per hectare | +126.0% |
| 2011 | 664.3 kg per hectare | -26.9% |
| 2012 | 655.6 kg per hectare | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 769 kg per hectare | +17.3% |
| 2014 | 683.2 kg per hectare | -11.2% |
| 2015 | 661.5 kg per hectare | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 471.4 kg per hectare | -28.7% |
| 2017 | 990.2 kg per hectare | +110.1% |
| 2018 | 715.9 kg per hectare | -27.7% |
| 2019 | 705 kg per hectare | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 436.7 kg per hectare | -38.1% |
| 2021 | 972.5 kg per hectare | +122.7% |
| 2022 | 728.9 kg per hectare | -25.0% |
| 2023 | 804.1 kg per hectare | +10.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 804.1 kg per hectare is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2,085 kg per hectare, 39% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 804.1 kg per hectare is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,342 kg per hectare, 60% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cereal yield (kg per hectare) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | +135.5% | 640.1 kg per hectare | 1,508 kg per hectare |
| 2010 | +126.0% | 402.2 kg per hectare | 909.1 kg per hectare |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 770.77 kg per hectare | 680.2 kg per hectare | 836.2 kg per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 849.35 kg per hectare | 375.1 kg per hectare | 1,508 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 753.6 kg per hectare | 601.8 kg per hectare | 959.8 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 917.25 kg per hectare | 460.3 kg per hectare | 1,353 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 602.38 kg per hectare | 374.5 kg per hectare | 995.5 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 722.52 kg per hectare | 471.4 kg per hectare | 990.2 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 735.55 kg per hectare | 436.7 kg per hectare | 972.5 kg per hectare | 4 |
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 cereal yield in Lesotho?
- Cereal yield in Lesotho was 804.1 kg per hectare in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest cereal yield recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 1,508 kg per hectare in 1977.
- What is the lowest cereal yield recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 374.5 kg per hectare in 2008.
- How does Lesotho rank for cereal yield?
- Lesotho ranks 168th out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cereal yield rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.6%. 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), published as part of Cereal yield (kg per hectare). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Cereal yield, measured as kilograms per hectare of harvested land, includes wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, and mixed grains. Production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded. The FAO allocates production data to the calendar year in which the bulk of the harvest took place. Most of a crop harvested near the end of a year will be used in the following year.