Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Lesotho
Lesotho: Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland was 5.97 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
5.97 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
down 14.0%
World rank
155th
of 201 countries
All-time high
19.79 kilograms per hectare
in 2019
All-time low
0.03 kilograms per hectare
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
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 155th out of 201 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.
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.03 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 0.07 kilograms per hectare | +133.3% |
| 1963 | 0.05 kilograms per hectare | -28.6% |
| 1964 | 0.08 kilograms per hectare | +60.0% |
| 1965 | 0.14 kilograms per hectare | +75.0% |
| 1966 | 0.14 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.28 kilograms per hectare | +100.0% |
| 1968 | 0.04 kilograms per hectare | -85.7% |
| 1969 | 0.06 kilograms per hectare | +50.0% |
| 1970 | 0.07 kilograms per hectare | +16.7% |
| 1971 | 0.1 kilograms per hectare | +42.9% |
| 1972 | 0.1 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.38 kilograms per hectare | +280.0% |
| 1974 | 0.38 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.8 kilograms per hectare | +110.5% |
| 1976 | 0.84 kilograms per hectare | +5.0% |
| 1977 | 1.71 kilograms per hectare | +103.6% |
| 1978 | 1.37 kilograms per hectare | -19.9% |
| 1979 | 1.29 kilograms per hectare | -5.8% |
| 1980 | 1.69 kilograms per hectare | +31.0% |
| 1981 | 1.66 kilograms per hectare | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 1.71 kilograms per hectare | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 1.74 kilograms per hectare | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 1.99 kilograms per hectare | +14.4% |
| 1985 | 0.32 kilograms per hectare | -83.9% |
| 1986 | 0.34 kilograms per hectare | +6.3% |
| 1987 | 1.21 kilograms per hectare | +255.9% |
| 1988 | 1.17 kilograms per hectare | -3.3% |
| 1989 | 1.64 kilograms per hectare | +40.2% |
| 1990 | 1.56 kilograms per hectare | -4.9% |
| 1991 | 2.48 kilograms per hectare | +59.0% |
| 1992 | 2.08 kilograms per hectare | -16.1% |
| 1993 | 2.99 kilograms per hectare | +43.8% |
| 1994 | 3.95 kilograms per hectare | +32.1% |
| 1995 | 5.88 kilograms per hectare | +48.9% |
| 1996 | 6.39 kilograms per hectare | +8.7% |
| 1997 | 4.88 kilograms per hectare | -23.6% |
| 1998 | 5.47 kilograms per hectare | +12.1% |
| 1999 | 5.66 kilograms per hectare | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 10.24 kilograms per hectare | +80.9% |
| 2001 | 14.7 kilograms per hectare | +43.6% |
| 2002 | 10.7 kilograms per hectare | -27.2% |
| 2003 | 6.76 kilograms per hectare | -36.8% |
| 2004 | 1.66 kilograms per hectare | -75.4% |
| 2005 | 0.45 kilograms per hectare | -72.9% |
| 2006 | 2.72 kilograms per hectare | +504.4% |
| 2007 | 2.99 kilograms per hectare | +9.9% |
| 2008 | 0.94 kilograms per hectare | -68.6% |
| 2009 | 1.47 kilograms per hectare | +56.4% |
| 2010 | 0.78 kilograms per hectare | -46.9% |
| 2011 | 5.73 kilograms per hectare | +634.6% |
| 2012 | 2.27 kilograms per hectare | -60.4% |
| 2013 | 17.51 kilograms per hectare | +671.4% |
| 2014 | 16.78 kilograms per hectare | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 6.72 kilograms per hectare | -60.0% |
| 2016 | 4.28 kilograms per hectare | -36.3% |
| 2017 | 3.35 kilograms per hectare | -21.7% |
| 2018 | 7.01 kilograms per hectare | +109.3% |
| 2019 | 19.79 kilograms per hectare | +182.3% |
| 2020 | 7.82 kilograms per hectare | -60.5% |
| 2021 | 13.09 kilograms per hectare | +67.4% |
| 2022 | 6.94 kilograms per hectare | -47.0% |
| 2023 | 5.97 kilograms per hectare | -14.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 5.97 kilograms per hectare is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 13.3 kilograms per hectare, 45% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 5.97 kilograms per hectare is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.68 kilograms per hectare, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | +671.4% | 2.27 kilograms per hectare | 17.51 kilograms per hectare |
| 2011 | +634.6% | 0.78 kilograms per hectare | 5.73 kilograms per hectare |
| 2006 | +504.4% | 0.45 kilograms per hectare | 2.72 kilograms per hectare |
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 (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 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 155th out of 201 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.