Cropland area in Lesotho
Lesotho: Cropland area was 313,712 in 2010. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2010)
313,712
World rank
135th
of 179 countries
All-time high
339,248
in 1970
All-time low
35,490
in 1780
Years of data
24
1780–2010
Cropland area in Lesotho, 1780–2010
Source: Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2010, cropland area in Lesotho stood at 313,712.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cropland area in Lesotho peaked at 339,248 in 1970 and was at its lowest, 35,490, in 1780.
Lesotho ranks 135th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cropland area in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1780 | 35,490 | — |
| 1790 | 36,728 | +3.5% |
| 1800 | 38,073 | +3.7% |
| 1810 | 39,472 | +3.7% |
| 1820 | 43,937 | +11.3% |
| 1830 | 48,861 | +11.2% |
| 1840 | 54,483 | +11.5% |
| 1850 | 60,590 | +11.2% |
| 1860 | 67,773 | +11.9% |
| 1870 | 76,597 | +13.0% |
| 1880 | 87,116 | +13.7% |
| 1890 | 98,359 | +12.9% |
| 1900 | 111,848 | +13.7% |
| 1910 | 129,111 | +15.4% |
| 1920 | 164,676 | +27.5% |
| 1930 | 210,230 | +27.7% |
| 1940 | 265,647 | +26.4% |
| 1950 | 289,653 | +9.0% |
| 1960 | 331,091 | +14.3% |
| 1970 | 339,248 | +2.5% |
| 1980 | 268,461 | -20.9% |
| 1990 | 290,611 | +8.3% |
| 2000 | 301,957 | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 313,712 | +3.9% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 313,712 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.80 million, 17% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 313,712 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.24 million, 14% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 35,490 | 35,490 | 35,490 | 1 |
| 1790s | 36,728 | 36,728 | 36,728 | 1 |
| 1800s | 38,073 | 38,073 | 38,073 | 1 |
| 1810s | 39,472 | 39,472 | 39,472 | 1 |
| 1820s | 43,937 | 43,937 | 43,937 | 1 |
| 1830s | 48,861 | 48,861 | 48,861 | 1 |
| 1840s | 54,483 | 54,483 | 54,483 | 1 |
| 1850s | 60,590 | 60,590 | 60,590 | 1 |
| 1860s | 67,773 | 67,773 | 67,773 | 1 |
| 1870s | 76,597 | 76,597 | 76,597 | 1 |
| 1880s | 87,116 | 87,116 | 87,116 | 1 |
| 1890s | 98,359 | 98,359 | 98,359 | 1 |
| 1900s | 111,848 | 111,848 | 111,848 | 1 |
| 1910s | 129,111 | 129,111 | 129,111 | 1 |
| 1920s | 164,676 | 164,676 | 164,676 | 1 |
| 1930s | 210,230 | 210,230 | 210,230 | 1 |
| 1940s | 265,647 | 265,647 | 265,647 | 1 |
| 1950s | 289,653 | 289,653 | 289,653 | 1 |
| 1960s | 331,091 | 331,091 | 331,091 | 1 |
| 1970s | 339,248 | 339,248 | 339,248 | 1 |
| 1980s | 268,461 | 268,461 | 268,461 | 1 |
| 1990s | 290,611 | 290,611 | 290,611 | 1 |
| 2000s | 301,957 | 301,957 | 301,957 | 1 |
| 2010s | 313,712 | 313,712 | 313,712 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 132 Gabon 333,470 compare
- 133 Guinea-Bissau 329,186 compare
- 134 Switzerland 318,809 compare
- 136 Gambia 277,551 compare
- 137 Costa Rica 246,844 compare
- 138 Montenegro 203,248 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 cropland area in Lesotho?
- Cropland area in Lesotho was 313,712 in 2010, according to Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cropland area recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 339,248 in 1970.
- What is the lowest cropland area recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 35,490 in 1780.
- How does Lesotho rank for cropland area?
- Lesotho ranks 135th out of 179 countries with data for 2010.
- Is cropland area rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Cropland area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Cropland is land used to grow crops, excluding pasture used for livestock grazing.