China vs United States: Pesticide use
China
217,996 tonnes
in 2023
United States
429,501 tonnes
in 2023
China rank
5th
United States rank
2nd
Pesticide use over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 429,501 tonnes against 217,996 tonnes in China, a difference of 211,505 tonnes.
That makes United States's figure about 2.0 times China's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
China ranks 5th and United States ranks 2nd of 211 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 191,212 tonnes | 416,035 tonnes | 224,822 tonnes | United States |
| 2000s | 275,175 tonnes | 401,996 tonnes | 126,820 tonnes | United States |
| 2010s | 321,579 tonnes | 423,218 tonnes | 101,640 tonnes | United States |
| 2020s | 231,108 tonnes | 433,603 tonnes | 202,495 tonnes | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher pesticide use, China or United States?
- United States, at 429,501 tonnes against 217,996 tonnes in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in pesticide use between China and United States?
- 211,505 tonnes, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do China and United States rank globally for pesticide use?
- China ranks 5th and United States ranks 2nd 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.