Wheat — Area harvested in Lesotho
Lesotho: Wheat — Area harvested was 5,814 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Wheat — Area harvested in Lesotho, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
In 2024, wheat — area harvested in Lesotho stood at 5,814 ha.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 45.4% on the previous year and down 58.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wheat — area harvested in Lesotho peaked at 106,392 ha in 1972 and was at its lowest, 2,292 ha, in 2019.
Lesotho ranks 100th of 124 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wheat — Area harvested in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 66,532 ha | — |
| 1962 | 70,000 ha | +5.2% |
| 1963 | 70,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 70,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 69,800 ha | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 71,200 ha | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 73,400 ha | +3.1% |
| 1968 | 82,700 ha | +12.7% |
| 1969 | 95,200 ha | +15.1% |
| 1970 | 87,724 ha | -7.9% |
| 1971 | 95,030 ha | +8.3% |
| 1972 | 106,392 ha | +12.0% |
| 1973 | 75,000 ha | -29.5% |
| 1974 | 76,592 ha | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 55,118 ha | -28.0% |
| 1976 | 55,872 ha | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 41,676 ha | -25.4% |
| 1978 | 42,610 ha | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 35,307 ha | -17.1% |
| 1980 | 28,952 ha | -18.0% |
| 1981 | 19,932 ha | -31.2% |
| 1982 | 23,894 ha | +19.9% |
| 1983 | 29,004 ha | +21.4% |
| 1984 | 29,513 ha | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 36,270 ha | +22.9% |
| 1986 | 19,028 ha | -47.5% |
| 1987 | 27,603 ha | +45.1% |
| 1988 | 29,904 ha | +8.3% |
| 1989 | 43,650 ha | +46.0% |
| 1990 | 40,851 ha | -6.4% |
| 1991 | 34,933 ha | -14.5% |
| 1992 | 13,816 ha | -60.5% |
| 1993 | 11,088 ha | -19.7% |
| 1994 | 28,472 ha | +156.8% |
| 1995 | 17,195 ha | -39.6% |
| 1996 | 22,186 ha | +29.0% |
| 1997 | 20,700 ha | -6.7% |
| 1998 | 20,014 ha | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 20,880 ha | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 23,744 ha | +13.7% |
| 2001 | 24,740 ha | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 36,599 ha | +47.9% |
| 2003 | 37,092 ha | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 25,335 ha | -31.7% |
| 2005 | 19,072 ha | -24.7% |
| 2006 | 18,345 ha | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 15,774 ha | -14.0% |
| 2008 | 20,525 ha | +30.1% |
| 2009 | 26,493 ha | +29.1% |
| 2010 | 13,693 ha | -48.3% |
| 2011 | 20,136 ha | +47.1% |
| 2012 | 12,170 ha | -39.6% |
| 2013 | 10,913 ha | -10.3% |
| 2014 | 13,832 ha | +26.7% |
| 2015 | 8,317 ha | -39.9% |
| 2016 | 7,900 ha | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 6,843 ha | -13.4% |
| 2018 | 7,427 ha | +8.5% |
| 2019 | 2,292 ha | -69.1% |
| 2020 | 2,875 ha | +25.4% |
| 2021 | 5,191 ha | +80.6% |
| 2022 | 7,036 ha | +35.5% |
| 2023 | 10,639 ha | +51.2% |
| 2024 | 5,814 ha | -45.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 5,814 ha is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 55,000 ha, 11% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 5,814 ha is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12,910 ha, 45% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 74,315 ha | 66,532 ha | 95,200 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 67,132 ha | 35,307 ha | 106,392 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 28,775 ha | 19,028 ha | 43,650 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 23,014 ha | 11,088 ha | 40,851 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 24,772 ha | 15,774 ha | 37,092 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 10,352 ha | 2,292 ha | 20,136 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,311 ha | 2,875 ha | 10,639 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 wheat — area harvested in Lesotho?
- Wheat — area harvested in Lesotho was 5,814 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest wheat — area harvested recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 106,392 ha in 1972.
- What is the lowest wheat — area harvested recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,292 ha in 2019.
- How does Lesotho rank for wheat — area harvested?
- Lesotho ranks 100th out of 124 countries with data for 2024.
- Is wheat — area harvested rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.0%. 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 Wheat — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.