Land under cereal production in Lesotho
Lesotho: Land under cereal production was 177,933 hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Land under cereal production in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, land under cereal production in Lesotho stood at 177,933 hectares.
The figure is up 57.3% on the previous year and up 27.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land under cereal production in Lesotho peaked at 316,737 hectares in 1971 and was at its lowest, 49,777 hectares, in 2019.
That places Lesotho 123rd out of 181 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 271,059 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 274,700 hectares | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 274,700 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 274,200 hectares | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 286,700 hectares | +4.6% |
| 1966 | 279,500 hectares | -2.5% |
| 1967 | 290,900 hectares | +4.1% |
| 1968 | 312,439 hectares | +7.4% |
| 1969 | 311,127 hectares | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 301,455 hectares | -3.1% |
| 1971 | 316,737 hectares | +5.1% |
| 1972 | 278,192 hectares | -12.2% |
| 1973 | 255,700 hectares | -8.1% |
| 1974 | 291,267 hectares | +13.9% |
| 1975 | 219,636 hectares | -24.6% |
| 1976 | 186,945 hectares | -14.9% |
| 1977 | 166,497 hectares | -10.9% |
| 1978 | 205,573 hectares | +23.5% |
| 1979 | 200,825 hectares | -2.3% |
| 1980 | 202,642 hectares | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 206,760 hectares | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 188,220 hectares | -9.0% |
| 1983 | 181,070 hectares | -3.8% |
| 1984 | 202,934 hectares | +12.1% |
| 1985 | 231,890 hectares | +14.3% |
| 1986 | 194,965 hectares | -15.9% |
| 1987 | 242,934 hectares | +24.6% |
| 1988 | 281,473 hectares | +15.9% |
| 1989 | 216,845 hectares | -23.0% |
| 1990 | 233,506 hectares | +7.7% |
| 1991 | 146,106 hectares | -37.4% |
| 1992 | 153,239 hectares | +4.9% |
| 1993 | 157,568 hectares | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 272,374 hectares | +72.9% |
| 1995 | 104,613 hectares | -61.6% |
| 1996 | 217,487 hectares | +107.9% |
| 1997 | 202,828 hectares | -6.7% |
| 1998 | 127,047 hectares | -37.4% |
| 1999 | 184,312 hectares | +45.1% |
| 2000 | 208,295 hectares | +13.0% |
| 2001 | 256,109 hectares | +23.0% |
| 2002 | 203,652 hectares | -20.5% |
| 2003 | 191,237 hectares | -6.1% |
| 2004 | 183,527 hectares | -4.0% |
| 2005 | 162,555 hectares | -11.4% |
| 2006 | 177,688 hectares | +9.3% |
| 2007 | 173,484 hectares | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 194,908 hectares | +12.3% |
| 2009 | 184,308 hectares | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 190,512 hectares | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 156,406 hectares | -17.9% |
| 2012 | 154,640 hectares | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 139,734 hectares | -9.6% |
| 2014 | 169,408 hectares | +21.2% |
| 2015 | 125,225 hectares | -26.1% |
| 2016 | 54,468 hectares | -56.5% |
| 2017 | 218,157 hectares | +300.5% |
| 2018 | 220,490 hectares | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 49,777 hectares | -77.4% |
| 2020 | 65,328 hectares | +31.2% |
| 2021 | 101,095 hectares | +54.7% |
| 2022 | 113,112 hectares | +11.9% |
| 2023 | 177,933 hectares | +57.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 177,933 hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.15 million hectares, 15% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 177,933 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.49 million hectares, 12% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Land under cereal production 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% | 54,468 hectares | 218,157 hectares |
| 1996 | +107.9% | 104,613 hectares | 217,487 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 286,147 hectares | 271,059 hectares | 312,439 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 242,283 hectares | 166,497 hectares | 316,737 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 214,973 hectares | 181,070 hectares | 281,473 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 179,908 hectares | 104,613 hectares | 272,374 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 193,576 hectares | 162,555 hectares | 256,109 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 147,882 hectares | 49,777 hectares | 220,490 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 114,367 hectares | 65,328 hectares | 177,933 hectares | 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 land under cereal production in Lesotho?
- Land under cereal production in Lesotho was 177,933 hectares in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest land under cereal production recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 316,737 hectares in 1971.
- What is the lowest land under cereal production recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 49,777 hectares in 2019.
- How does Lesotho rank for land under cereal production?
- Lesotho ranks 123rd out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land under cereal production 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 FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Land under cereal production (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Land under cereal production refers to harvested area, although some countries report only sown or cultivated area. Cereals include wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, and mixed grains. Production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.