Animal protein consumption in Lesotho
Lesotho: Animal protein consumption was 0.51 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.51 grams of protein per day per capita
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
182nd
of 192 countries
All-time high
0.9903 grams of protein per day per capita
in 1983
All-time low
0 grams of protein per day per capita
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Animal protein consumption in Lesotho, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of protein per day per capita.
Analysis
In 2023, animal protein consumption in Lesotho stood at 0.51 grams of protein per day per capita.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 24.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, animal protein consumption in Lesotho peaked at 0.9903 grams of protein per day per capita in 1983 and was at its lowest, 0 grams of protein per day per capita, in 1961.
That places Lesotho 182nd out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Animal protein consumption in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | grams of protein per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1963 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1964 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1965 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1966 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1967 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1968 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1969 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1970 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1971 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1972 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1973 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1974 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1975 | 0.0095 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1976 | 0.0094 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 0.0094 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 0.0094 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 0.3357 grams of protein per day per capita | +3490.4% |
| 1980 | 0.6133 grams of protein per day per capita | +82.7% |
| 1981 | 0.6112 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 0.7374 grams of protein per day per capita | +20.6% |
| 1983 | 0.9903 grams of protein per day per capita | +34.3% |
| 1984 | 0.7559 grams of protein per day per capita | -23.7% |
| 1985 | 0.6959 grams of protein per day per capita | -7.9% |
| 1986 | 0.646 grams of protein per day per capita | -7.2% |
| 1987 | 0.6336 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 0.0089 grams of protein per day per capita | -98.6% |
| 1989 | 0.0088 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 0.0088 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | -100.0% |
| 1992 | 0.0089 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1993 | 0.0089 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 0.0089 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 0.009 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 0.009 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 0.0091 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 0.0091 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 0.0092 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 0.1945 grams of protein per day per capita | +2017.5% |
| 2001 | 0.2713 grams of protein per day per capita | +39.5% |
| 2002 | 0.5292 grams of protein per day per capita | +95.0% |
| 2003 | 0.3348 grams of protein per day per capita | -36.7% |
| 2004 | 0.2231 grams of protein per day per capita | -33.4% |
| 2005 | 0.1874 grams of protein per day per capita | -16.0% |
| 2006 | 0.1895 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 0.2203 grams of protein per day per capita | +16.3% |
| 2008 | 0.2507 grams of protein per day per capita | +13.8% |
| 2009 | 0.2813 grams of protein per day per capita | +12.2% |
| 2010 | 0.25 grams of protein per day per capita | -11.1% |
| 2011 | 0.48 grams of protein per day per capita | +92.0% |
| 2012 | 0.43 grams of protein per day per capita | -10.4% |
| 2013 | 0.41 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 0.87 grams of protein per day per capita | +112.2% |
| 2015 | 0.44 grams of protein per day per capita | -49.4% |
| 2016 | 0.65 grams of protein per day per capita | +47.7% |
| 2017 | 0.72 grams of protein per day per capita | +10.8% |
| 2018 | 0.58 grams of protein per day per capita | -19.4% |
| 2019 | 0.62 grams of protein per day per capita | +6.9% |
| 2020 | 0.67 grams of protein per day per capita | +8.1% |
| 2021 | 0.52 grams of protein per day per capita | -22.4% |
| 2022 | 0.52 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.51 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.9% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 0.51 grams of protein per day per capita is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.69 grams of protein per day per capita, 19% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 0.51 grams of protein per day per capita is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.24 grams of protein per day per capita, 23% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Animal protein consumption 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +3490.4% | 0.0094 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.3357 grams of protein per day per capita |
| 2000 | +2017.5% | 0.0092 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.1945 grams of protein per day per capita |
| 2014 | +112.2% | 0.41 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.87 grams of protein per day per capita |
| 1991 | -100.0% | 0.0088 grams of protein per day per capita | 0 grams of protein per day per capita |
| 1988 | -98.6% | 0.6336 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.0089 grams of protein per day per capita |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0373 grams of protein per day per capita | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.3357 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5701 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.0088 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.9903 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0081 grams of protein per day per capita | 0 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.0092 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2682 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.1874 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.5292 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.545 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.25 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.87 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.555 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.51 grams of protein per day per capita | 0.67 grams of protein per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 179 Azerbaijan 0.62 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 180 Yemen 0.62 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 181 Botswana 0.57 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 183 Somalia 0.4844 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 184 Niger 0.45 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 185 Pakistan 0.44 grams of protein per day per capita compare
More economy & growth data for Lesotho
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -71.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 57.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0799 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 87.06 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 50.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0584 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 63.57 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0303 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per capita 33.01 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is animal protein consumption in Lesotho?
- Animal protein consumption in Lesotho was 0.51 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest animal protein consumption recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9903 grams of protein per day per capita in 1983.
- What is the lowest animal protein consumption recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 grams of protein per day per capita in 1961.
- How does Lesotho rank for animal protein consumption?
- Lesotho ranks 182nd out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is animal protein consumption rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Animal protein consumption. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Quantity that is available for consumption at the end of the supply chain. It does not account for consumer waste, so the quantity that is actually consumed may be lower.