Per capita meat consumption by type in Lesotho
Lesotho: Per capita meat consumption by type was 2.67 kilograms per year per capita in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
2.67 kilograms per year per capita
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
24th
of 191 countries
All-time high
4.56 kilograms per year per capita
in 2012
All-time low
2.42 kilograms per year per capita
in 1981
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Per capita meat consumption by type in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per year per capita.
Analysis
In 2023, per capita meat consumption by type in Lesotho stood at 2.67 kilograms per year per capita.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita meat consumption by type in Lesotho peaked at 4.56 kilograms per year per capita in 2012 and was at its lowest, 2.42 kilograms per year per capita, in 1981.
That places Lesotho 24th out of 191 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Per capita meat consumption by type in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | kilograms per year per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.55 kilograms per year per capita | — |
| 1962 | 3.5 kilograms per year per capita | -1.5% |
| 1963 | 3.46 kilograms per year per capita | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 3.4 kilograms per year per capita | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 3.35 kilograms per year per capita | -1.3% |
| 1966 | 3.4 kilograms per year per capita | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 3.35 kilograms per year per capita | -1.6% |
| 1968 | 3.57 kilograms per year per capita | +6.8% |
| 1969 | 3.13 kilograms per year per capita | -12.6% |
| 1970 | 3.1 kilograms per year per capita | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 3.02 kilograms per year per capita | -2.4% |
| 1972 | 2.97 kilograms per year per capita | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 3 kilograms per year per capita | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 2.88 kilograms per year per capita | -3.8% |
| 1975 | 2.84 kilograms per year per capita | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 2.79 kilograms per year per capita | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 2.71 kilograms per year per capita | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 2.64 kilograms per year per capita | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 2.56 kilograms per year per capita | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 2.49 kilograms per year per capita | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 2.42 kilograms per year per capita | -2.9% |
| 1982 | 3.36 kilograms per year per capita | +39.2% |
| 1983 | 3.74 kilograms per year per capita | +11.2% |
| 1984 | 3.31 kilograms per year per capita | -11.6% |
| 1985 | 2.55 kilograms per year per capita | -22.9% |
| 1986 | 2.62 kilograms per year per capita | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 2.75 kilograms per year per capita | +4.9% |
| 1988 | 2.89 kilograms per year per capita | +5.3% |
| 1989 | 2.83 kilograms per year per capita | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 2.98 kilograms per year per capita | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 3.05 kilograms per year per capita | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 3.15 kilograms per year per capita | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 3.05 kilograms per year per capita | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 2.91 kilograms per year per capita | -4.8% |
| 1995 | 2.63 kilograms per year per capita | -9.4% |
| 1996 | 2.58 kilograms per year per capita | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 2.7 kilograms per year per capita | +4.7% |
| 1998 | 2.74 kilograms per year per capita | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 2.81 kilograms per year per capita | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 2.89 kilograms per year per capita | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 3 kilograms per year per capita | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 3.09 kilograms per year per capita | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 3.2 kilograms per year per capita | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 3.3 kilograms per year per capita | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 3.41 kilograms per year per capita | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 3.54 kilograms per year per capita | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 3.64 kilograms per year per capita | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 3.69 kilograms per year per capita | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 3.78 kilograms per year per capita | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 4.15 kilograms per year per capita | +9.9% |
| 2011 | 4.49 kilograms per year per capita | +8.2% |
| 2012 | 4.56 kilograms per year per capita | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 2.79 kilograms per year per capita | -38.8% |
| 2014 | 2.6 kilograms per year per capita | -6.8% |
| 2015 | 3.08 kilograms per year per capita | +18.5% |
| 2016 | 2.68 kilograms per year per capita | -13.0% |
| 2017 | 3.2 kilograms per year per capita | +19.4% |
| 2018 | 3.75 kilograms per year per capita | +17.2% |
| 2019 | 2.62 kilograms per year per capita | -30.1% |
| 2020 | 3.31 kilograms per year per capita | +26.3% |
| 2021 | 2.74 kilograms per year per capita | -17.2% |
| 2022 | 2.64 kilograms per year per capita | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 2.67 kilograms per year per capita | +1.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 2.67 kilograms per year per capita is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.64 kilograms per year per capita, 4.2× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 2.67 kilograms per year per capita is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.99 kilograms per year per capita, 2.7× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita meat consumption by type 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | -38.8% | 4.56 kilograms per year per capita | 2.79 kilograms per year per capita |
| 1982 | +39.2% | 2.42 kilograms per year per capita | 3.36 kilograms per year per capita |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.41 kilograms per year per capita | 3.13 kilograms per year per capita | 3.57 kilograms per year per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.85 kilograms per year per capita | 2.56 kilograms per year per capita | 3.1 kilograms per year per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.9 kilograms per year per capita | 2.42 kilograms per year per capita | 3.74 kilograms per year per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.86 kilograms per year per capita | 2.58 kilograms per year per capita | 3.15 kilograms per year per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.35 kilograms per year per capita | 2.89 kilograms per year per capita | 3.78 kilograms per year per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.39 kilograms per year per capita | 2.6 kilograms per year per capita | 4.56 kilograms per year per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.84 kilograms per year per capita | 2.64 kilograms per year per capita | 3.31 kilograms per year per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 21 Sudan 3.01 kilograms per year per capita compare
- 22 Cameroon 2.84 kilograms per year per capita compare
- 23 Somalia 2.79 kilograms per year per capita compare
- 25 Liberia 2.54 kilograms per year per capita compare
- 26 Netherlands 2.39 kilograms per year per capita compare
- 27 Zimbabwe 2.33 kilograms per year per capita 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 per capita meat consumption by type in Lesotho?
- Per capita meat consumption by type in Lesotho was 2.67 kilograms per year per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita meat consumption by type recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 4.56 kilograms per year per capita in 2012.
- What is the lowest per capita meat consumption by type recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.42 kilograms per year per capita in 1981.
- How does Lesotho rank for per capita meat consumption by type?
- Lesotho ranks 24th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita meat consumption by type rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita meat consumption by type. 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
Quantity that is available for consumption at the end of the supply chain. It does not account for consumer waste, so the quantity that is actually consumed may be lower.