Insecticide use in Botswana
Botswana: Insecticide use was 969 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Insecticide use in Botswana, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 969 tonnes for insecticide use in 2023.
The figure is down 9.4% on the previous year and up 166.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, insecticide use in Botswana peaked at 1,070 tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 127 tonnes, in 1995.
That places Botswana 53rd out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Insecticide use in Botswana, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 272 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 255 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 1992 | 238 tonnes | -6.7% |
| 1993 | 193 tonnes | -18.9% |
| 1994 | 156 tonnes | -19.2% |
| 1995 | 127 tonnes | -18.6% |
| 1996 | 131 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 143 tonnes | +9.2% |
| 1998 | 170 tonnes | +18.9% |
| 1999 | 215 tonnes | +26.5% |
| 2000 | 282 tonnes | +31.2% |
| 2001 | 329 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 2002 | 327 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 286 tonnes | -12.5% |
| 2004 | 238 tonnes | -16.8% |
| 2005 | 247 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 307 tonnes | +24.3% |
| 2007 | 328 tonnes | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 324 tonnes | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 285 tonnes | -12.0% |
| 2010 | 294 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 321 tonnes | +9.2% |
| 2012 | 346 tonnes | +7.8% |
| 2013 | 364 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2014 | 355 tonnes | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 466 tonnes | +31.3% |
| 2016 | 561 tonnes | +20.4% |
| 2017 | 717 tonnes | +27.8% |
| 2018 | 668 tonnes | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 757 tonnes | +13.3% |
| 2020 | 908 tonnes | +19.9% |
| 2021 | 1,056 tonnes | +16.3% |
| 2022 | 1,070 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 969 tonnes | -9.4% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 969 tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 339.5 tonnes, 2.9× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 969 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 286 tonnes, 3.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 190 tonnes | 127 tonnes | 272 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 295.3 tonnes | 238 tonnes | 329 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 484.9 tonnes | 294 tonnes | 757 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,001 tonnes | 908 tonnes | 1,070 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More reference data data for Botswana
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0472 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0078 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0825 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0424 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is insecticide use in Botswana?
- Insecticide use in Botswana was 969 tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest insecticide use recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 1,070 tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest insecticide use recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 127 tonnes in 1995.
- How does Botswana rank for insecticide use?
- Botswana ranks 53rd out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is insecticide use rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 166.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Insecticide use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual quantity of insecticides used in agriculture, measured as the tonnes of active ingredient per year.