Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Lesotho
Lesotho: Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland was 5.97 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per hectare.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 5.97 kilograms per hectare for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.0% on the previous year and down 65.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Lesotho peaked at 19.79 kilograms per hectare in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.03 kilograms per hectare, in 1961.
That places Lesotho 154th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0989 kilograms per hectare | 0.03 kilograms per hectare | 0.28 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.704 kilograms per hectare | 0.07 kilograms per hectare | 1.71 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.35 kilograms per hectare | 0.32 kilograms per hectare | 1.99 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.13 kilograms per hectare | 1.56 kilograms per hectare | 6.39 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.26 kilograms per hectare | 0.45 kilograms per hectare | 14.7 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.42 kilograms per hectare | 0.78 kilograms per hectare | 19.79 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.46 kilograms per hectare | 5.97 kilograms per hectare | 13.09 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More agriculture & rural data for Lesotho
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 166.92 million current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 6.5% (2025)
- Rural population 1.31 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.7% (2025)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 5.1% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.5% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.5% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 177,933 hectares (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Lesotho?
- Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Lesotho was 5.97 kilograms per hectare in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 19.79 kilograms per hectare in 2019.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.03 kilograms per hectare in 1961.
- How does Lesotho rank for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland?
- Lesotho ranks 154th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 65.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Use of fertilizers per area of cropland, which corresponds to the sum of arable land and permanent crops.