CO₂ emissions by sector in Lesotho
Lesotho: CO₂ emissions by sector was 140,000 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
CO₂ emissions by sector in Lesotho, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 140,000 tonnes for co₂ emissions by sector in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 58.8% on the previous year and up 27.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions by sector in Lesotho peaked at 340,000 tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 90,000 tonnes, in 1990.
Lesotho ranks 136th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions by sector in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 90,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 90,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 90,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 100,000 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 1994 | 100,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 100,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 100,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 110,000 tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1998 | 110,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 110,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 110,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 110,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 120,000 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 2003 | 120,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 129,999 tonnes | +8.3% |
| 2005 | 100,000 tonnes | -23.1% |
| 2006 | 110,000 tonnes | +10.0% |
| 2007 | 110,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 90,000 tonnes | -18.2% |
| 2009 | 129,999 tonnes | +44.4% |
| 2010 | 120,000 tonnes | -7.7% |
| 2011 | 120,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 110,000 tonnes | -8.3% |
| 2013 | 110,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 100,000 tonnes | -9.1% |
| 2015 | 100,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 110,000 tonnes | +10.0% |
| 2017 | 120,000 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 2018 | 120,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 120,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 160,000 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 2021 | 150,000 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 2022 | 340,000 tonnes | +126.7% |
| 2023 | 140,000 tonnes | -58.8% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 140,000 tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 630,000 tonnes, 22% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 140,000 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 170,000 tonnes, 82% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions by sector 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +126.7% | 150,000 tonnes | 340,000 tonnes |
| 2023 | -58.8% | 340,000 tonnes | 140,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 100,000 tonnes | 90,000 tonnes | 110,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 113,000 tonnes | 90,000 tonnes | 129,999 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 113,000 tonnes | 100,000 tonnes | 120,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 197,500 tonnes | 140,000 tonnes | 340,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 134 Mozambique 160,000 tonnes compare
- 135 Gabon 150,000 tonnes compare
- 136 North Macedonia 140,000 tonnes compare
- 138 Uganda 129,999 tonnes compare
- 139 Equatorial Guinea 120,000 tonnes compare
- 139 Guyana 120,000 tonnes compare
More climate change data for Lesotho
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 6.55 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,116 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 715.74 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,401 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 50.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 61.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 51.99 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 9.3 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.1962 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions by sector in Lesotho?
- Co₂ emissions by sector in Lesotho was 140,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 340,000 tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 90,000 tonnes in 1990.
- How does Lesotho rank for co₂ emissions by sector?
- Lesotho ranks 136th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes.