Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho
Lesotho: Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre was 5.86 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho stood at 5.86 hectares per square kilometre.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 57.3% on the previous year and up 27.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho peaked at 10.43 hectares per square kilometre in 1971 and was at its lowest, 1.64 hectares per square kilometre, in 2019.
Lesotho ranks 68th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 8.93 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 9.05 hectares per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 9.05 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 9.03 hectares per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 9.44 hectares per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1966 | 9.21 hectares per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 1967 | 9.58 hectares per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1968 | 10.29 hectares per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 1969 | 10.25 hectares per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 9.93 hectares per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 1971 | 10.43 hectares per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1972 | 9.16 hectares per square kilometre | -12.2% |
| 1973 | 8.42 hectares per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 1974 | 9.59 hectares per square kilometre | +13.9% |
| 1975 | 7.23 hectares per square kilometre | -24.6% |
| 1976 | 6.16 hectares per square kilometre | -14.9% |
| 1977 | 5.48 hectares per square kilometre | -10.9% |
| 1978 | 6.77 hectares per square kilometre | +23.5% |
| 1979 | 6.61 hectares per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 1980 | 6.67 hectares per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 6.81 hectares per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 6.2 hectares per square kilometre | -9.0% |
| 1983 | 5.96 hectares per square kilometre | -3.8% |
| 1984 | 6.68 hectares per square kilometre | +12.1% |
| 1985 | 7.64 hectares per square kilometre | +14.3% |
| 1986 | 6.42 hectares per square kilometre | -15.9% |
| 1987 | 8 hectares per square kilometre | +24.6% |
| 1988 | 9.27 hectares per square kilometre | +15.9% |
| 1989 | 7.14 hectares per square kilometre | -23.0% |
| 1990 | 7.69 hectares per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 1991 | 4.81 hectares per square kilometre | -37.4% |
| 1992 | 5.05 hectares per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1993 | 5.19 hectares per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 8.97 hectares per square kilometre | +72.9% |
| 1995 | 3.45 hectares per square kilometre | -61.6% |
| 1996 | 7.16 hectares per square kilometre | +107.9% |
| 1997 | 6.68 hectares per square kilometre | -6.7% |
| 1998 | 4.18 hectares per square kilometre | -37.4% |
| 1999 | 6.07 hectares per square kilometre | +45.1% |
| 2000 | 6.86 hectares per square kilometre | +13.0% |
| 2001 | 8.44 hectares per square kilometre | +23.0% |
| 2002 | 6.71 hectares per square kilometre | -20.5% |
| 2003 | 6.3 hectares per square kilometre | -6.1% |
| 2004 | 6.05 hectares per square kilometre | -4.0% |
| 2005 | 5.35 hectares per square kilometre | -11.4% |
| 2006 | 5.85 hectares per square kilometre | +9.3% |
| 2007 | 5.71 hectares per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 6.42 hectares per square kilometre | +12.3% |
| 2009 | 6.07 hectares per square kilometre | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 6.28 hectares per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 5.15 hectares per square kilometre | -17.9% |
| 2012 | 5.09 hectares per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 4.6 hectares per square kilometre | -9.6% |
| 2014 | 5.58 hectares per square kilometre | +21.2% |
| 2015 | 4.12 hectares per square kilometre | -26.1% |
| 2016 | 1.79 hectares per square kilometre | -56.5% |
| 2017 | 7.19 hectares per square kilometre | +300.5% |
| 2018 | 7.26 hectares per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 1.64 hectares per square kilometre | -77.4% |
| 2020 | 2.15 hectares per square kilometre | +31.2% |
| 2021 | 3.33 hectares per square kilometre | +54.7% |
| 2022 | 3.73 hectares per square kilometre | +11.9% |
| 2023 | 5.86 hectares per square kilometre | +57.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 5.86 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.29 hectares per square kilometre, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 5.86 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.74 hectares per square kilometre, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +300.5% | 1.79 hectares per square kilometre | 7.19 hectares per square kilometre |
| 1996 | +107.9% | 3.45 hectares per square kilometre | 7.16 hectares per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.43 hectares per square kilometre | 8.93 hectares per square kilometre | 10.29 hectares per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 7.98 hectares per square kilometre | 5.48 hectares per square kilometre | 10.43 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.08 hectares per square kilometre | 5.96 hectares per square kilometre | 9.27 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.93 hectares per square kilometre | 3.45 hectares per square kilometre | 8.97 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.38 hectares per square kilometre | 5.35 hectares per square kilometre | 8.44 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.87 hectares per square kilometre | 1.64 hectares per square kilometre | 7.26 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.77 hectares per square kilometre | 2.15 hectares per square kilometre | 5.86 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 65 United States 6.07 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 66 Kazakhstan 6.03 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 67 Argentina 5.99 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 69 Netherlands 5.53 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 70 Lebanon 5.4 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 71 Iran 5.34 hectares per square kilometre 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 land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho?
- Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Lesotho was 5.86 hectares per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 10.43 hectares per square kilometre in 1971.
- What is the lowest land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.64 hectares per square kilometre in 2019.
- How does Lesotho rank for land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre?
- Lesotho ranks 68th out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Land under cereal production (hectares) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Land under cereal production (hectares) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Land under cereal production FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Land under cereal production (hectares) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.