Insecticide use in China
China: Insecticide use was 58,756 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Insecticide use in China, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for insecticide use in China is 58,756 tonnes, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 36.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, insecticide use in China peaked at 91,969 tonnes in 2013 and was at its lowest, 38,936 tonnes, in 1990.
That places China 4th out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Insecticide use in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 38,936 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 38,936 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 40,660 tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1993 | 42,980 tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1994 | 49,788 tonnes | +15.8% |
| 1995 | 55,303 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 1996 | 58,040 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 60,823 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 62,665 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 67,238 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 2000 | 65,096 tonnes | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 64,857 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 66,714 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 67,421 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 70,515 tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 74,275 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 78,202 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 82,562 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 85,081 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 86,948 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 89,451 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 90,916 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 91,888 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 91,969 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 91,745 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 90,713 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 88,550 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 84,206 tonnes | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 76,498 tonnes | -9.2% |
| 2019 | 70,805 tonnes | -7.4% |
| 2020 | 66,801 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 63,036 tonnes | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 60,567 tonnes | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 58,756 tonnes | -3.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 58,756 tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 339.5 tonnes, 173.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- China's 58,756 tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 22 tonnes, 2670.7× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 51,537 tonnes | 38,936 tonnes | 67,238 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 74,167 tonnes | 64,857 tonnes | 86,948 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 86,674 tonnes | 70,805 tonnes | 91,969 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 62,290 tonnes | 58,756 tonnes | 66,801 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is insecticide use in China?
- Insecticide use in China was 58,756 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 91,969 tonnes in 2013.
- What is the lowest insecticide use recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 38,936 tonnes in 1990.
- How does China rank for insecticide use?
- China ranks 4th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is insecticide use rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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.