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Environment · Sub-Saharan Africa · Lower-middle income

Lesotho: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 0.43 t (2024), 166th of 203 in the world and 23rd of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GHG per person is 1.31 t (2024), 173rd of 203 in the world and 32nd of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GHG emissions is 3.1 Mt (2024), 158th of 203 in the world and 41st of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

CO₂ per person0.43 t2024 · world 166/203 · region 23/47GHG per person1.31 t2024 · world 173/203 · region 32/47GHG emissions3.1 Mt2024 · world 158/203 · region 41/47CO₂ emissions1.0 Mt2024 · world 160/203 · region 36/47
CO₂ per person
LesothoSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.0199520002005201020152020Lesotho0.43 tSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
GHG per person
LesothoSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.08.0199520002005201020152020Lesotho1.31 tSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: Lesotho in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Sub-Saharan Africa; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
CO₂ per personCO₂ emissions per capita, tonnes0.43 t2024166/20323/470.18 t0.26 t0.31 t+49%since 20140.70 t1.60 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e1.31 t2024173/20332/471.33 t1.41 t1.11 t−3.5%since 20141.91 t2.58 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e3.1 Mt2024158/20341/472.7 Mt2.8 Mt2.5 Mt+8.4%since 20142,444.8 Mt7,482.1 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt1.0 Mt2024160/20336/470.4 Mt0.5 Mt0.7 Mt+67%since 2014896.3 Mt4,634.0 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e1.6 Mt2024149/20340/471.7 Mt1.7 Mt1.4 Mt−5.6%since 20141,179.9 Mt2,116.0 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption34.9%202270/21239/4856.7%53.0%43.2%−5.9 ppsince 201270.3%43.3%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output99.8%20213/2061/4899.9%99.9%99.9%−0.1 ppsince 201132.6%24.8%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³26.4 µg/m³202358/20026/4828.5 µg/m³33.5 µg/m³27.1 µg/m³−2.0%since 201335.4 µg/m³49.6 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area1.1%2024196/21446/481.1%1.1%1.1%±0.0 ppsince 201425.7%30.2%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area92.9%20242/2101/4883.7%83.7%84.5%+10.8 ppsince 201444.7%43.0%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area19.0%202458/20616/4810.6%10.6%11.4%+10.0 ppsince 201410.0%18.3%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory23.4%202548/21311/48··0.5%+23.1 ppsince 201514.0%12.4%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources0.8%2022156/17736/470.8%0.8%0.8%±0.0 ppsince 20123.4%16.3%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³2,288 m³202298/18319/472,610 m³2,620 m³2,339 m³−11%since 20123,162 m³2,496 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare604 kg/ha2024174/17941/46719 kg/ha909 kg/ha437 kg/ha−12%since 20141,453 kg/ha3,366 kg/ha4,229 kg/ha
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Lesotho and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Lesotho. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorLesothoSouth Africa
CO₂ per person0.43 t20246.88 t2024
GHG per person1.31 t20248.90 t2024
GHG emissions3.1 Mt2024569.8 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions1.0 Mt2024440.2 Mt2024
Methane1.6 Mt202493.2 Mt2024
Renewable energy34.9%20229.7%2021
Renewable power99.8%20216.4%2021
PM2.5 exposure26.4 µg/m³202327.7 µg/m³2023
Forest cover1.1%202418.8%2024
South Africa: environment
Environment in Sub-Saharan Africaall 48 economies rankedEnvironment: lower-middle-income countries47 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesLesotho: all key statisticscountry profile