Nigeria vs South Africa: Pesticide use
Nigeria
48,184 tonnes
in 2023
South Africa
42,041 tonnes
in 2023
Nigeria rank
13th
South Africa rank
15th
Pesticide use over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 48,184 tonnes against 42,041 tonnes in South Africa, a difference of 6,143 tonnes.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.
Nigeria ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 15th of 211 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4,377 tonnes | 19,244 tonnes | 14,868 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2000s | 10,636 tonnes | 28,883 tonnes | 18,247 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2010s | 36,426 tonnes | 36,730 tonnes | 304.4 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 53,911 tonnes | 42,137 tonnes | 11,774 tonnes | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher pesticide use, Nigeria or South Africa?
- Nigeria, at 48,184 tonnes against 42,041 tonnes in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in pesticide use between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 6,143 tonnes, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for pesticide use?
- Nigeria ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 15th 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.