What is the difference in agricultural population between Botswana and Lesotho?

7,000 FAO, number, with Botswana ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?

33 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2012.

Where does this data come from?

Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as Agricultural population (FAO, number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Botswana vs Lesotho: Agricultural population

Botswana

855,000 FAO, number

in 2012

Lesotho

848,000 FAO, number

in 2012

Botswana rank

42nd

Lesotho rank

43rd

Agricultural population over time

Botswana
Lesotho

How they compare

Botswana currently reports 855,000 FAO, number against 848,000 FAO, number in Lesotho, a difference of 7,000 FAO, number.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Botswana ahead.

Botswana ranks 42nd and Lesotho ranks 43rd of 53 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 1 and Lesotho in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Botswana	Lesotho	Difference	Ahead
1980s	625,900 FAO, number	651,000 FAO, number	25,100 FAO, number	Lesotho
1990s	696,400 FAO, number	767,700 FAO, number	71,300 FAO, number	Lesotho
2000s	805,500 FAO, number	832,400 FAO, number	26,900 FAO, number	Lesotho
2010s	850,000 FAO, number	846,000 FAO, number	4,000 FAO, number	Botswana

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher agricultural population, Botswana or Lesotho?: Botswana, at 855,000 FAO, number against 848,000 FAO, number in Lesotho as of 2012.
What is the difference in agricultural population between Botswana and Lesotho?: 7,000 FAO, number, with Botswana ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Lesotho?: 33 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2012.
How do Botswana and Lesotho rank globally for agricultural population?: Botswana ranks 42nd and Lesotho ranks 43rd of 53 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as Agricultural population (FAO, number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Agricultural population (FAO, number)
Unit: FAO, number
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 59 places, 1,934 data points, 1980–2012
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The Agricultural Population is defined as all persons depending for their livelihood on agriculture, hunting, fishing or forestry. This estimate comprises all persons actively engaged in agriculture and their non-working dependants. The Agricultural Population series are estimated by FAO based on the total population series obtained from UN Population Division ("World population prospects: The 2008 Revision") and the ratios of labour force in total population and agricultural labour force in total labour force from ILO: ("Economically active population, 1950-2010: The 4th Revision", ILO, Geneva, 1996). Direct information on agricultural population derived from national population censuses or surveys is scarce.