Sorghum — Area harvested in Lesotho
Lesotho: Sorghum — Area harvested was 15,814 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Sorghum — Area harvested in Lesotho, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 15,814 ha for sorghum — area harvested in 2024.
The figure is down 6.8% on the previous year and down 27.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sorghum — area harvested in Lesotho peaked at 85,425 ha in 2018 and was at its lowest, 4,499 ha, in 2016.
Lesotho ranks 62nd of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Sorghum — Area harvested in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 65,000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 65,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 65,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 65,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 58,200 ha | -10.5% |
| 1966 | 65,100 ha | +11.9% |
| 1967 | 66,300 ha | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 70,562 ha | +6.4% |
| 1969 | 71,771 ha | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 82,568 ha | +15.0% |
| 1971 | 85,000 ha | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 60,100 ha | -29.3% |
| 1973 | 64,000 ha | +6.5% |
| 1974 | 83,267 ha | +30.1% |
| 1975 | 54,774 ha | -34.2% |
| 1976 | 44,239 ha | -19.2% |
| 1977 | 42,485 ha | -4.0% |
| 1978 | 59,280 ha | +39.5% |
| 1979 | 51,255 ha | -13.5% |
| 1980 | 61,333 ha | +19.7% |
| 1981 | 60,016 ha | -2.1% |
| 1982 | 48,044 ha | -19.9% |
| 1983 | 46,537 ha | -3.1% |
| 1984 | 54,682 ha | +17.5% |
| 1985 | 75,559 ha | +38.2% |
| 1986 | 51,929 ha | -31.3% |
| 1987 | 70,909 ha | +36.5% |
| 1988 | 76,355 ha | +7.7% |
| 1989 | 40,499 ha | -47.0% |
| 1990 | 35,663 ha | -11.9% |
| 1991 | 18,601 ha | -47.8% |
| 1992 | 31,797 ha | +70.9% |
| 1993 | 40,930 ha | +28.7% |
| 1994 | 69,350 ha | +69.4% |
| 1995 | 8,579 ha | -87.6% |
| 1996 | 42,054 ha | +390.2% |
| 1997 | 36,058 ha | -14.3% |
| 1998 | 15,453 ha | -57.1% |
| 1999 | 30,067 ha | +94.6% |
| 2000 | 25,831 ha | -14.1% |
| 2001 | 52,490 ha | +103.2% |
| 2002 | 28,210 ha | -46.3% |
| 2003 | 25,204 ha | -10.7% |
| 2004 | 29,192 ha | +15.8% |
| 2005 | 29,689 ha | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 34,421 ha | +15.9% |
| 2007 | 32,175 ha | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 35,556 ha | +10.5% |
| 2009 | 17,585 ha | -50.5% |
| 2010 | 33,146 ha | +88.5% |
| 2011 | 18,864 ha | -43.1% |
| 2012 | 14,151 ha | -25.0% |
| 2013 | 22,944 ha | +62.1% |
| 2014 | 21,709 ha | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 15,968 ha | -26.4% |
| 2016 | 4,499 ha | -71.8% |
| 2017 | 44,359 ha | +886.0% |
| 2018 | 85,425 ha | +92.6% |
| 2019 | 14,419 ha | -83.1% |
| 2020 | 13,721 ha | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 8,466 ha | -38.3% |
| 2022 | 15,420 ha | +82.1% |
| 2023 | 16,965 ha | +10.0% |
| 2024 | 15,814 ha | -6.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 15,814 ha is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28,421 ha, 56% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 15,814 ha is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 225,850 ha, 7% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sorghum — Area harvested 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 | +886.0% | 4,499 ha | 44,359 ha |
| 1996 | +390.2% | 8,579 ha | 42,054 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 65,770 ha | 58,200 ha | 71,771 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 62,697 ha | 42,485 ha | 85,000 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 58,586 ha | 40,499 ha | 76,355 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 32,855 ha | 8,579 ha | 69,350 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 31,035 ha | 17,585 ha | 52,490 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 27,548 ha | 4,499 ha | 85,425 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 14,077 ha | 8,466 ha | 16,965 ha | 5 |
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 sorghum — area harvested in Lesotho?
- Sorghum — area harvested in Lesotho was 15,814 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest sorghum — area harvested recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 85,425 ha in 2018.
- What is the lowest sorghum — area harvested recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,499 ha in 2016.
- How does Lesotho rank for sorghum — area harvested?
- Lesotho ranks 62nd out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sorghum — area harvested rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Sorghum — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and 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 or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.