Fertilizer use by nutrient in Lesotho
Lesotho: Fertilizer use by nutrient was 2,152 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
2,152 tonnes
Change on year
up 12.6%
World rank
151st
of 202 countries
All-time high
4,910 tonnes
in 2001
All-time low
10 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer use by nutrient in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 2,152 tonnes for fertilizer use by nutrient in 2023.
That represents a change of up 12.6% on the previous year and down 51.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use by nutrient in Lesotho peaked at 4,910 tonnes in 2001 and was at its lowest, 10 tonnes, in 1961.
Lesotho ranks 151st of 202 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fertilizer use by nutrient in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 10 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 25 tonnes | +150.0% |
| 1963 | 19 tonnes | -24.0% |
| 1964 | 30 tonnes | +57.9% |
| 1965 | 50 tonnes | +66.7% |
| 1966 | 50 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 100 tonnes | +100.0% |
| 1968 | 16 tonnes | -84.0% |
| 1969 | 23 tonnes | +43.8% |
| 1970 | 25 tonnes | +8.7% |
| 1971 | 37 tonnes | +48.0% |
| 1972 | 35 tonnes | -5.4% |
| 1973 | 135 tonnes | +285.7% |
| 1974 | 136 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 300 tonnes | +120.6% |
| 1976 | 300 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 500 tonnes | +66.7% |
| 1978 | 400 tonnes | -20.0% |
| 1979 | 400 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 500 tonnes | +25.0% |
| 1981 | 500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 600 tonnes | +20.0% |
| 1985 | 100 tonnes | -83.3% |
| 1986 | 100 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 400 tonnes | +300.0% |
| 1988 | 400 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 500 tonnes | +25.0% |
| 1990 | 500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 800 tonnes | +60.0% |
| 1992 | 700 tonnes | -12.5% |
| 1993 | 1,000 tonnes | +42.9% |
| 1994 | 1,300 tonnes | +30.0% |
| 1995 | 1,904 tonnes | +46.5% |
| 1996 | 2,082 tonnes | +9.3% |
| 1997 | 1,606 tonnes | -22.9% |
| 1998 | 1,800 tonnes | +12.1% |
| 1999 | 1,863 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 3,420 tonnes | +83.6% |
| 2001 | 4,910 tonnes | +43.6% |
| 2002 | 3,254 tonnes | -33.7% |
| 2003 | 2,055 tonnes | -36.8% |
| 2004 | 523 tonnes | -74.5% |
| 2005 | 146 tonnes | -72.1% |
| 2006 | 834 tonnes | +471.2% |
| 2007 | 985 tonnes | +18.1% |
| 2008 | 340 tonnes | -65.5% |
| 2009 | 500 tonnes | +47.1% |
| 2010 | 253 tonnes | -49.4% |
| 2011 | 1,789 tonnes | +607.1% |
| 2012 | 649 tonnes | -63.7% |
| 2013 | 4,415 tonnes | +580.3% |
| 2014 | 4,637 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 1,498 tonnes | -67.7% |
| 2016 | 1,522 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 1,402 tonnes | -7.9% |
| 2018 | 3,037 tonnes | +116.6% |
| 2019 | 3,056 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 2,733 tonnes | -10.6% |
| 2021 | 3,002 tonnes | +9.8% |
| 2022 | 1,911 tonnes | -36.3% |
| 2023 | 2,152 tonnes | +12.6% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 2,152 tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 47,552 tonnes, 5% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 2,152 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 15,117 tonnes, 14% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fertilizer use by nutrient 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +607.1% | 253 tonnes | 1,789 tonnes |
| 2013 | +580.3% | 649 tonnes | 4,415 tonnes |
| 2006 | +471.2% | 146 tonnes | 834 tonnes |
| 1987 | +300.0% | 100 tonnes | 400 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 35.89 tonnes | 10 tonnes | 100 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 226.8 tonnes | 25 tonnes | 500 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 410 tonnes | 100 tonnes | 600 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,356 tonnes | 500 tonnes | 2,082 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,697 tonnes | 146 tonnes | 4,910 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,226 tonnes | 253 tonnes | 4,637 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,450 tonnes | 1,911 tonnes | 3,002 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 148 Guinea-Bissau 2,690 tonnes compare
- 149 Sierra Leone 2,478 tonnes compare
- 150 Kuwait 2,425 tonnes compare
- 152 Mauritania 1,918 tonnes compare
- 153 Qatar 1,557 tonnes compare
- 154 Congo 1,471 tonnes 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 fertilizer use by nutrient in Lesotho?
- Fertilizer use by nutrient in Lesotho was 2,152 tonnes 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 by nutrient recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 4,910 tonnes in 2001.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use by nutrient recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 10 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Lesotho rank for fertilizer use by nutrient?
- Lesotho ranks 151st out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use by nutrient rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.3%. 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 by nutrient. 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
Fertilizer use in the agricultural sector, which includes use for crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture.