Australia vs China: Pesticide use
Australia
182,264 tonnes
in 2023
China
217,996 tonnes
in 2023
Australia rank
6th
China rank
5th
Pesticide use over time
- Australia
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 217,996 tonnes against 182,264 tonnes in Australia, a difference of 35,732 tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times Australia's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
Australia ranks 6th and China ranks 5th of 211 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26,522 tonnes | 191,212 tonnes | 164,691 tonnes | China |
| 2000s | 34,519 tonnes | 275,175 tonnes | 240,657 tonnes | China |
| 2010s | 58,808 tonnes | 321,579 tonnes | 262,771 tonnes | China |
| 2020s | 151,606 tonnes | 231,108 tonnes | 79,502 tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher pesticide use, Australia or China?
- China, at 217,996 tonnes against 182,264 tonnes in Australia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in pesticide use between Australia and China?
- 35,732 tonnes, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and China?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Australia and China rank globally for pesticide use?
- Australia ranks 6th and China ranks 5th of 211 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Pesticide use. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total pesticide use measured in tonnes of pesticide consumption per year.