South Africa vs Spain: Pesticide use
South Africa
42,041 tonnes
in 2023
Spain
52,907 tonnes
in 2023
South Africa rank
15th
Spain rank
12th
Pesticide use over time
- South Africa
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 52,907 tonnes against 42,041 tonnes in South Africa, a difference of 10,866 tonnes.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, Spain has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 15th and Spain ranks 12th of 211 countries.
Spain has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19,244 tonnes | 33,500 tonnes | 14,255 tonnes | Spain |
| 2000s | 28,883 tonnes | 39,604 tonnes | 10,721 tonnes | Spain |
| 2010s | 36,730 tonnes | 70,037 tonnes | 33,307 tonnes | Spain |
| 2020s | 42,137 tonnes | 65,302 tonnes | 23,165 tonnes | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher pesticide use, South Africa or Spain?
- Spain, at 52,907 tonnes against 42,041 tonnes in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in pesticide use between South Africa and Spain?
- 10,866 tonnes, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for pesticide use?
- South Africa ranks 15th and Spain ranks 12th 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.