Insecticide use in Congo
Congo: Insecticide use was 653 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Insecticide use in Congo, 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 Congo is 653 tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 29.8% on the previous year and up 233.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, insecticide use in Congo peaked at 653 tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 37 tonnes, in 1990.
That places Congo 64th out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Insecticide use in Congo, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 37 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 41 tonnes | +10.8% |
| 1992 | 52 tonnes | +26.8% |
| 1993 | 76 tonnes | +46.2% |
| 1994 | 108 tonnes | +42.1% |
| 1995 | 139 tonnes | +28.7% |
| 1996 | 164 tonnes | +18.0% |
| 1997 | 183 tonnes | +11.6% |
| 1998 | 201 tonnes | +9.8% |
| 1999 | 218 tonnes | +8.5% |
| 2000 | 235 tonnes | +7.8% |
| 2001 | 252 tonnes | +7.2% |
| 2002 | 270 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 2003 | 288 tonnes | +6.7% |
| 2004 | 306 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 324 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 343 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 2007 | 318 tonnes | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 321 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 276 tonnes | -14.0% |
| 2010 | 259 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 2011 | 203 tonnes | -21.6% |
| 2012 | 192 tonnes | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 196 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 184 tonnes | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 158 tonnes | -14.1% |
| 2016 | 114 tonnes | -27.8% |
| 2017 | 106 tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2018 | 108 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 132 tonnes | +22.2% |
| 2020 | 166 tonnes | +25.8% |
| 2021 | 340 tonnes | +104.8% |
| 2022 | 503 tonnes | +47.9% |
| 2023 | 653 tonnes | +29.8% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 653 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 351.5 tonnes, 1.9× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Congo's 653 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 286 tonnes, 2.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 121.9 tonnes | 37 tonnes | 218 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 293.3 tonnes | 235 tonnes | 343 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 165.2 tonnes | 106 tonnes | 259 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 415.5 tonnes | 166 tonnes | 653 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Congo
- 61 Kazakhstan 739 tonnes compare
- 62 Poland 717 tonnes compare
- 63 El Salvador 667 tonnes compare
- 65 Mauritania 652 tonnes compare
- 66 Romania 648 tonnes compare
- 67 Ethiopia 638 tonnes compare
More reference data data for Congo
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0199 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1866 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0031 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.2108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0668 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0724 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9126 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.017 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is insecticide use in Congo?
- Insecticide use in Congo was 653 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 Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 653 tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest insecticide use recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 37 tonnes in 1990.
- How does Congo rank for insecticide use?
- Congo ranks 64th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is insecticide use rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 233.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Congo 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.