Insecticide use in Ghana
Ghana: Insecticide use was 502 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Insecticide use in Ghana, 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 Ghana is 502 tonnes, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 69.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, insecticide use in Ghana peaked at 2,019 tonnes in 2014 and was at its lowest, 32 tonnes, in 1990.
That places Ghana 78th 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 Ghana, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 32 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 32 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 32 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 32 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 32 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 32 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1,168 tonnes | +3550.0% |
| 1997 | 337 tonnes | -71.1% |
| 1998 | 113 tonnes | -66.5% |
| 1999 | 57 tonnes | -49.6% |
| 2000 | 47 tonnes | -17.5% |
| 2001 | 47 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 50 tonnes | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 56 tonnes | +12.0% |
| 2004 | 61 tonnes | +8.9% |
| 2005 | 124 tonnes | +103.3% |
| 2006 | 531 tonnes | +328.2% |
| 2007 | 48 tonnes | -91.0% |
| 2008 | 166 tonnes | +245.8% |
| 2009 | 157 tonnes | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 530 tonnes | +237.6% |
| 2011 | 902 tonnes | +70.2% |
| 2012 | 1,274 tonnes | +41.2% |
| 2013 | 1,647 tonnes | +29.3% |
| 2014 | 2,019 tonnes | +22.6% |
| 2015 | 1,145 tonnes | -43.3% |
| 2016 | 824 tonnes | -28.0% |
| 2017 | 502 tonnes | -39.1% |
| 2018 | 502 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 502 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 502 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 502 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 502 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 502 tonnes | +0.0% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 502 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 351.5 tonnes, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 502 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 286 tonnes, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Insecticide use in Ghana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +3550.0% | 32 tonnes | 1,168 tonnes |
| 2006 | +328.2% | 124 tonnes | 531 tonnes |
| 2008 | +245.8% | 48 tonnes | 166 tonnes |
| 2010 | +237.6% | 157 tonnes | 530 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 186.7 tonnes | 32 tonnes | 1,168 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 128.7 tonnes | 47 tonnes | 531 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 984.7 tonnes | 502 tonnes | 2,019 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 502 tonnes | 502 tonnes | 502 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More reference data data for Ghana
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2805 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1989 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9405 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9478 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.08 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is insecticide use in Ghana?
- Insecticide use in Ghana was 502 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 2,019 tonnes in 2014.
- What is the lowest insecticide use recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 32 tonnes in 1990.
- How does Ghana rank for insecticide use?
- Ghana ranks 78th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is insecticide use rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 69.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana 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.