Pesticide use in Lesotho
Lesotho: Pesticide use was 551 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Pesticide use in Lesotho, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, pesticide use in Lesotho stood at 551 tonnes. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.7% on the previous year and up 2,404.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Lesotho peaked at 551 tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3 tonnes, in 1999.
That places Lesotho 135th out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Pesticide use in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 3 tonnes | -40.0% |
| 2000 | 7 tonnes | +133.3% |
| 2001 | 9 tonnes | +28.6% |
| 2002 | 29 tonnes | +222.2% |
| 2003 | 27 tonnes | -6.9% |
| 2004 | 29 tonnes | +7.4% |
| 2005 | 15 tonnes | -48.3% |
| 2006 | 20 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 2007 | 22 tonnes | +10.0% |
| 2008 | 19 tonnes | -13.6% |
| 2009 | 14 tonnes | -26.3% |
| 2010 | 7 tonnes | -50.0% |
| 2011 | 14 tonnes | +100.0% |
| 2012 | 15 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 2013 | 22 tonnes | +46.7% |
| 2014 | 17 tonnes | -22.7% |
| 2015 | 55 tonnes | +223.5% |
| 2016 | 75 tonnes | +36.4% |
| 2017 | 84 tonnes | +12.0% |
| 2018 | 67 tonnes | -20.2% |
| 2019 | 113 tonnes | +68.7% |
| 2020 | 222 tonnes | +96.5% |
| 2021 | 240 tonnes | +8.1% |
| 2022 | 489 tonnes | +103.8% |
| 2023 | 551 tonnes | +12.7% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 551 tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,280 tonnes, 43% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 551 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 747 tonnes, 74% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Pesticide use 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +222.2% | 9 tonnes | 29 tonnes |
| 2015 | +223.5% | 17 tonnes | 55 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.8 tonnes | 3 tonnes | 5 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.1 tonnes | 7 tonnes | 29 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.9 tonnes | 7 tonnes | 113 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 375.5 tonnes | 222 tonnes | 551 tonnes | 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 pesticide use in Lesotho?
- Pesticide use in Lesotho was 551 tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest pesticide use recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 551 tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 tonnes in 1999.
- How does Lesotho rank for pesticide use?
- Lesotho ranks 135th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2,404.6%. 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 (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Pesticide use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total pesticide use measured in tonnes of pesticide consumption per year.