Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Lesotho
Lesotho: Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 53.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Lesotho, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Lesotho stood at 53.3%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Lesotho peaked at 53.3% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 16.6%, in 2000.
That places Lesotho 99th out of 240 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected 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 45.6%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 53.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 55.5%, 96% of the median. (48 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
- 96 Democratic Republic of Congo 54.4% compare
- 97 Panama 54.1% compare
- 98 Gabon 53.7% compare
- 100 Seychelles 52.8% compare
- 101 Oman 52.5% compare
- 102 Saint Barthelemy 51.7% 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 share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected in Lesotho?
- Share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected 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 share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 53.3% in 2011.
- What is the lowest share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.6% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- Lesotho ranks 99th out of 240 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of terrestrial key biodiversity areas that are protected 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 Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected. 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 Terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).