Agriculture-driven deforestation in Lesotho
Lesotho: Agriculture-driven deforestation was 0.8752 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Agriculture-driven deforestation in Lesotho, 2001–2024
Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for agriculture-driven deforestation in Lesotho is 0.8752 hectares, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.2% on the previous year and down 79.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agriculture-driven deforestation in Lesotho peaked at 5.92 hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.0672 hectares, in 2001.
That places Lesotho 169th out of 187 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.
Agriculture-driven deforestation in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 0.0672 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 1.68 hectares | +2399.2% |
| 2003 | 0.6715 hectares | -60.0% |
| 2004 | 1.48 hectares | +120.1% |
| 2005 | 0.6712 hectares | -54.6% |
| 2006 | 0.2687 hectares | -60.0% |
| 2007 | 1.34 hectares | +398.3% |
| 2008 | 3.09 hectares | +130.9% |
| 2009 | 1.81 hectares | -41.5% |
| 2010 | 0.2692 hectares | -85.1% |
| 2011 | 1.01 hectares | +274.2% |
| 2013 | 3.5 hectares | +247.9% |
| 2014 | 4.32 hectares | +23.4% |
| 2016 | 5.92 hectares | +37.0% |
| 2017 | 3.44 hectares | -42.0% |
| 2018 | 1.95 hectares | -43.3% |
| 2019 | 1.61 hectares | -17.3% |
| 2020 | 3.76 hectares | +133.7% |
| 2021 | 4.22 hectares | +12.1% |
| 2022 | 1.14 hectares | -72.9% |
| 2023 | 1.01 hectares | -11.9% |
| 2024 | 0.8752 hectares | -13.2% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 0.8752 hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,953 hectares, 0% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 0.8752 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3,723 hectares, 0% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Agriculture-driven deforestation 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 | +2399.2% | 0.0672 hectares | 1.68 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.23 hectares | 0.0672 hectares | 3.09 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 2.75 hectares | 0.2692 hectares | 5.92 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 2.2 hectares | 0.8752 hectares | 4.22 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More environment data for Lesotho
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.284 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.783 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.521 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.4197 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agriculture-driven deforestation in Lesotho?
- Agriculture-driven deforestation in Lesotho was 0.8752 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest agriculture-driven deforestation recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 5.92 hectares in 2016.
- What is the lowest agriculture-driven deforestation recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0672 hectares in 2001.
- How does Lesotho rank for agriculture-driven deforestation?
- Lesotho ranks 169th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is agriculture-driven deforestation rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 79.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Agriculture-driven deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Long-term, permanent tree cover loss for small- to large-scale agriculture.