Pesticide use in Lesotho

Lesotho: Pesticide use was 551 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
551 tonnes
Change on year
up 12.7%
World rank
135th
of 211 countries
All-time high
551 tonnes
in 2023
All-time low
3 tonnes
in 1999
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Pesticide use in Lesotho, 1990–2023

02004006001990200620231990: 5 tonnes1991: 5 tonnes1992: 5 tonnes1993: 5 tonnes1994: 5 tonnes1995: 5 tonnes1996: 5 tonnes1997: 5 tonnes1998: 5 tonnes1999: 3 tonnes2000: 7 tonnes2001: 9 tonnes2002: 29 tonnes2003: 27 tonnes2004: 29 tonnes2005: 15 tonnes2006: 20 tonnes2007: 22 tonnes2008: 19 tonnes2009: 14 tonnes2010: 7 tonnes2011: 14 tonnes2012: 15 tonnes2013: 22 tonnes2014: 17 tonnes2015: 55 tonnes2016: 75 tonnes2017: 84 tonnes2018: 67 tonnes2019: 113 tonnes2020: 222 tonnes2021: 240 tonnes2022: 489 tonnes2023: 551 tonnes

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 133 Mauritius 563 tonnes compare
  2. 134 Gambia 556 tonnes compare
  3. 136 Azerbaijan 543 tonnes compare
  4. 137 Maldives 461 tonnes compare
  5. 138 Guyana 458 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More reference data data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

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

Indicator
Pesticide use
Unit
tonnes
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
211 places, 7,015 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Total pesticide use measured in tonnes of pesticide consumption per year.