Potato production in Lesotho
Lesotho: Potato production was 132,750 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
132,750 tonnes
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
101st
of 160 countries
All-time high
134,962 tonnes
in 2019
All-time low
3,000 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Potato production in Lesotho, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, potato production in Lesotho stood at 132,750 tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potato production in Lesotho peaked at 134,962 tonnes in 2019 and was at its lowest, 3,000 tonnes, in 1961.
Lesotho ranks 101st of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Potato production in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3,000 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 3,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 3,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 3,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 3,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 3,500 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1967 | 3,500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 3,500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 3,500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 4,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 1971 | 4,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 4,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 4,500 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 1974 | 4,500 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 4,800 tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1976 | 4,960 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1977 | 8,000 tonnes | +61.3% |
| 1978 | 10,000 tonnes | +25.0% |
| 1979 | 15,000 tonnes | +50.0% |
| 1980 | 18,000 tonnes | +20.0% |
| 1981 | 18,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 20,000 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 1983 | 22,000 tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1984 | 25,000 tonnes | +13.6% |
| 1985 | 28,000 tonnes | +12.0% |
| 1986 | 30,000 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 1987 | 35,000 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1988 | 38,000 tonnes | +8.6% |
| 1989 | 45,000 tonnes | +18.4% |
| 1990 | 45,093 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 50,000 tonnes | +10.9% |
| 1992 | 55,000 tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1993 | 60,000 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1994 | 70,000 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1995 | 71,037 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 73,353 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 75,000 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 80,000 tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 85,000 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2000 | 87,000 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 88,000 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 90,000 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 90,970 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 90,921 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 91,682 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 92,780 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 93,000 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 96,500 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 91,000 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 99,000 tonnes | +8.8% |
| 2011 | 112,000 tonnes | +13.1% |
| 2012 | 115,000 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 125,000 tonnes | +8.7% |
| 2014 | 131,536 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 123,040 tonnes | -6.5% |
| 2016 | 126,525 tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 128,703 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 131,364 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 134,962 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 131,676 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 132,667 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 133,102 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 132,482 tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 132,750 tonnes | +0.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 132,750 tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 422,111 tonnes, 31% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 132,750 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 190,510 tonnes, 70% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Potato production 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | +61.3% | 4,960 tonnes | 8,000 tonnes |
| 1979 | +50.0% | 10,000 tonnes | 15,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3,222 tonnes | 3,000 tonnes | 3,500 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 6,376 tonnes | 4,000 tonnes | 15,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 27,900 tonnes | 18,000 tonnes | 45,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 66,448 tonnes | 45,093 tonnes | 85,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 91,185 tonnes | 87,000 tonnes | 96,500 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 122,713 tonnes | 99,000 tonnes | 134,962 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 132,535 tonnes | 131,676 tonnes | 133,102 tonnes | 5 |
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 potato production in Lesotho?
- Potato production in Lesotho was 132,750 tonnes in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest potato production recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 134,962 tonnes in 2019.
- What is the lowest potato production recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,000 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Lesotho rank for potato production?
- Lesotho ranks 101st out of 160 countries with data for 2024.
- Is potato production rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. 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 Potato production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Potato production is measured in tonnes.