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.
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
- Agricultural raw materials exports 5.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.7% (2025)
- Rural population 1.31 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 6.5% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 166.92 million current US$ (2025)
- Cereal yield 804.1 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal production 143,080 metric tons (2023)
- Fertilizer consumption 8.7 kilograms per hectare of arable land (2023)
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.