Land area in hectares, per capita in Lesotho
Lesotho: Land area in hectares, per capita was 1.31 hectares per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Land area in hectares, per capita in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per person.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 1.31 hectares per person for land area in hectares, per capita in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land area in hectares, per capita in Lesotho peaked at 4 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 1.31 hectares per person, in 2023.
Lesotho ranks 89th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Land area in hectares, per capita in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 3.88 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1963 | 3.77 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1964 | 3.66 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1965 | 3.55 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1966 | 3.44 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1967 | 3.32 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1968 | 3.2 hectares per person | -3.6% |
| 1969 | 3.09 hectares per person | -3.6% |
| 1970 | 2.98 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1971 | 2.87 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1972 | 2.77 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1973 | 2.68 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1974 | 2.59 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1975 | 2.5 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1976 | 2.42 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1977 | 2.35 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 2.29 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1979 | 2.22 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1980 | 2.16 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 2.1 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1982 | 2.04 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 1.98 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 1.92 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1985 | 1.87 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1986 | 1.82 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1987 | 1.78 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 1.74 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 1.71 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 1.68 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 1.65 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 1.62 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 1.6 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 1.57 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 1.56 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 1.54 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 1.53 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 1.52 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 1.52 hectares per person | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 1.52 hectares per person | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.52 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 1.52 hectares per person | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 1.53 hectares per person | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.54 hectares per person | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 1.55 hectares per person | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 1.56 hectares per person | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 1.55 hectares per person | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 1.54 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 1.53 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 1.52 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 1.51 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 1.49 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 1.48 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 1.46 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 1.44 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 1.43 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 1.41 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 1.39 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 1.37 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 1.36 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 1.34 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 1.33 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 1.31 hectares per person | -1.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 1.31 hectares per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.24 hectares per person, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 1.31 hectares per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.46 hectares per person, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.55 hectares per person | 3.09 hectares per person | 4 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.57 hectares per person | 2.22 hectares per person | 2.98 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.91 hectares per person | 1.71 hectares per person | 2.16 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.58 hectares per person | 1.52 hectares per person | 1.68 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.54 hectares per person | 1.52 hectares per person | 1.56 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.45 hectares per person | 1.37 hectares per person | 1.52 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.34 hectares per person | 1.31 hectares per person | 1.36 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More reference data data for Lesotho
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0331 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5388 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0101 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1115 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0549 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land area in hectares, per capita in Lesotho?
- Land area in hectares, per capita in Lesotho was 1.31 hectares per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest land area in hectares, per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 4 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest land area in hectares, per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.31 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for land area in hectares, per capita?
- Lesotho ranks 89th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land area in hectares, per capita rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Land area in hectares, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Land area in hectares divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Land area in hectares ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Land area in hectares Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Land area in hectares divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.