Number of people employed in agriculture in Lesotho
Lesotho: Number of people employed in agriculture was 229,838 people in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
229,838 people
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
112th
of 186 countries
All-time high
266,384 people
in 1999
All-time low
201,948 people
in 2019
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Number of people employed in agriculture in Lesotho, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2025, number of people employed in agriculture in Lesotho stood at 229,838 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people employed in agriculture in Lesotho peaked at 266,384 people in 1999 and was at its lowest, 201,948 people, in 2019.
Lesotho ranks 112th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Number of people employed in agriculture in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 252,820 people | — |
| 1992 | 254,941 people | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 255,845 people | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 255,847 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 256,913 people | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 255,484 people | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 257,367 people | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 262,578 people | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 266,384 people | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 264,531 people | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 263,617 people | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 261,188 people | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 256,464 people | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 253,150 people | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 246,703 people | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 239,432 people | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 236,197 people | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 231,980 people | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 232,104 people | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 227,360 people | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 223,561 people | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 220,068 people | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 219,036 people | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 214,181 people | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 209,664 people | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 207,271 people | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 208,390 people | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 207,153 people | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 201,948 people | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 210,509 people | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 216,721 people | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 224,635 people | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 228,036 people | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 228,844 people | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 229,838 people | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 257,575 people | 252,820 people | 266,384 people | 9 |
| 2000s | 248,537 people | 231,980 people | 264,531 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 213,863 people | 201,948 people | 227,360 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 223,097 people | 210,509 people | 229,838 people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 109 Timor-Leste 287,785 people compare
- 110 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 287,295 people compare
- 111 Costa Rica 259,730 people compare
- 113 Canada 226,258 people compare
- 114 Jamaica 217,443 people compare
- 115 Libya 212,549 people 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 number of people employed in agriculture in Lesotho?
- Number of people employed in agriculture in Lesotho was 229,838 people in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people employed in agriculture recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 266,384 people in 1999.
- What is the lowest number of people employed in agriculture recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 201,948 people in 2019.
- How does Lesotho rank for number of people employed in agriculture?
- Lesotho ranks 112th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people employed in agriculture rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people employed in agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people working in agriculture, including hunting, forestry and fishing.