Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Lesotho
Lesotho: Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas was 53.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Lesotho, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Lesotho is 53.3%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Lesotho peaked at 53.3% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 16.6%, in 2000.
Lesotho ranks 82nd of 184 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.6% | — |
| 2001 | 51.8% | +212.0% |
| 2002 | 51.8% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 51.8% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 51.8% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 51.8% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 51.8% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 51.8% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 51.8% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 51.8% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 51.8% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 53.3% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 53.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 45.0%, 1.2× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 53.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 51.7%, 1.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 48.3% | 16.6% | 51.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.2% | 51.8% | 53.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.3% | 53.3% | 53.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 79 Madagascar 56.8% compare
- 80 Georgia 56.7% compare
- 81 Cape Verde 54.8% compare
- 83 Mayotte 53.3% compare
- 84 Brazil 51.9% compare
- 85 East Timor 50.8% compare
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 protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Lesotho?
- Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas in Lesotho was 53.3% in 2025, according to BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 53.3% in 2011.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.6% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas?
- Lesotho ranks 82nd out of 184 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average proportion of Mountain Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).