Wheat production in Lesotho
Lesotho: Wheat production was 4,183 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
4,183 tonnes
Change on year
down 33.1%
World rank
107th
of 126 countries
All-time high
61,381 tonnes
in 1977
All-time low
1,432 tonnes
in 2019
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Wheat 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
Lesotho recorded 4,183 tonnes for wheat production in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.1% on the previous year and down 66.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wheat production in Lesotho peaked at 61,381 tonnes in 1977 and was at its lowest, 1,432 tonnes, in 2019.
That places Lesotho 107th out of 126 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wheat production in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 57,540 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 55,000 tonnes | -4.4% |
| 1963 | 55,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 54,000 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 1965 | 50,000 tonnes | -7.4% |
| 1966 | 58,000 tonnes | +16.0% |
| 1967 | 50,000 tonnes | -13.8% |
| 1968 | 53,780 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1969 | 59,696 tonnes | +11.0% |
| 1970 | 57,552 tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1971 | 57,903 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 24,000 tonnes | -58.6% |
| 1973 | 36,000 tonnes | +50.0% |
| 1974 | 57,000 tonnes | +58.3% |
| 1975 | 45,337 tonnes | -20.5% |
| 1976 | 44,640 tonnes | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 61,381 tonnes | +37.5% |
| 1978 | 57,906 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 1979 | 33,629 tonnes | -41.9% |
| 1980 | 28,194 tonnes | -16.2% |
| 1981 | 16,993 tonnes | -39.7% |
| 1982 | 14,462 tonnes | -14.9% |
| 1983 | 14,810 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 17,127 tonnes | +15.6% |
| 1985 | 18,434 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1986 | 11,009 tonnes | -40.3% |
| 1987 | 18,547 tonnes | +68.5% |
| 1988 | 19,237 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 29,698 tonnes | +54.4% |
| 1990 | 33,162 tonnes | +11.7% |
| 1991 | 6,844 tonnes | -79.4% |
| 1992 | 11,854 tonnes | +73.2% |
| 1993 | 8,127 tonnes | -31.4% |
| 1994 | 11,955 tonnes | +47.1% |
| 1995 | 10,603 tonnes | -11.3% |
| 1996 | 31,300 tonnes | +195.2% |
| 1997 | 33,722 tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1998 | 29,641 tonnes | -12.1% |
| 1999 | 15,426 tonnes | -48.0% |
| 2000 | 15,545 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 50,755 tonnes | +226.5% |
| 2002 | 26,250 tonnes | -48.3% |
| 2003 | 21,805 tonnes | -16.9% |
| 2004 | 16,216 tonnes | -25.6% |
| 2005 | 13,797 tonnes | -14.9% |
| 2006 | 6,607 tonnes | -52.1% |
| 2007 | 3,158 tonnes | -52.2% |
| 2008 | 2,697 tonnes | -14.6% |
| 2009 | 6,099 tonnes | +126.1% |
| 2010 | 20,119 tonnes | +229.9% |
| 2011 | 20,065 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 10,516 tonnes | -47.6% |
| 2013 | 13,472 tonnes | +28.1% |
| 2014 | 12,592 tonnes | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 7,069 tonnes | -43.9% |
| 2016 | 4,690 tonnes | -33.7% |
| 2017 | 8,851 tonnes | +88.7% |
| 2018 | 6,975 tonnes | -21.2% |
| 2019 | 1,432 tonnes | -79.5% |
| 2020 | 2,004 tonnes | +39.9% |
| 2021 | 2,395 tonnes | +19.5% |
| 2022 | 5,704 tonnes | +138.2% |
| 2023 | 6,251 tonnes | +9.6% |
| 2024 | 4,183 tonnes | -33.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 4,183 tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 158,943 tonnes, 3% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 4,183 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,417 tonnes, 25% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wheat 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +229.9% | 6,099 tonnes | 20,119 tonnes |
| 2001 | +226.5% | 15,545 tonnes | 50,755 tonnes |
| 1996 | +195.2% | 10,603 tonnes | 31,300 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 54,780 tonnes | 50,000 tonnes | 59,696 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 47,535 tonnes | 24,000 tonnes | 61,381 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 18,851 tonnes | 11,009 tonnes | 29,698 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 19,263 tonnes | 6,844 tonnes | 33,722 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 16,293 tonnes | 2,697 tonnes | 50,755 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 10,578 tonnes | 1,432 tonnes | 20,119 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,107 tonnes | 2,004 tonnes | 6,251 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 104 Mozambique 5,000 tonnes compare
- 104 Taiwan 5,000 tonnes compare
- 106 Colombia 4,636 tonnes compare
- 108 Mauritania 2,051 tonnes compare
- 109 Montenegro 1,870 tonnes compare
- 110 Chad 1,353 tonnes compare
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 wheat production in Lesotho?
- Wheat production in Lesotho was 4,183 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 wheat production recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 61,381 tonnes in 1977.
- What is the lowest wheat production recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,432 tonnes in 2019.
- How does Lesotho rank for wheat production?
- Lesotho ranks 107th out of 126 countries with data for 2024.
- Is wheat production rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.8%. 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 Wheat 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
Wheat production is measured in tonnes.