Insecticide use in Malta
Malta: Insecticide use was 2 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Insecticide use in Malta, 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 Malta is 2 tonnes, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 33.3% on the previous year and down 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, insecticide use in Malta peaked at 104 tonnes in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2016.
Malta ranks 189th of 211 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Insecticide use in Malta, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 47 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 47 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 47 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 47 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 104 tonnes | +121.3% |
| 1995 | 47 tonnes | -54.8% |
| 1996 | 13 tonnes | -72.3% |
| 1997 | 51 tonnes | +292.3% |
| 1998 | 43 tonnes | -15.7% |
| 1999 | 38 tonnes | -11.6% |
| 2000 | 47 tonnes | +23.7% |
| 2001 | 24 tonnes | -48.9% |
| 2002 | 20 tonnes | -16.7% |
| 2003 | 16 tonnes | -20.0% |
| 2004 | 12 tonnes | -25.0% |
| 2005 | 8 tonnes | -33.3% |
| 2006 | 5 tonnes | -37.5% |
| 2007 | 1 tonnes | -80.0% |
| 2008 | 2 tonnes | +100.0% |
| 2009 | 3 tonnes | +50.0% |
| 2010 | 4 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 2011 | 5 tonnes | +25.0% |
| 2012 | 5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 tonnes | +20.0% |
| 2014 | 5 tonnes | -16.7% |
| 2015 | 5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2017 | 3 tonnes | — |
| 2018 | 4 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 2019 | 4 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3 tonnes | -25.0% |
| 2021 | 1 tonnes | -66.7% |
| 2022 | 3 tonnes | +200.0% |
| 2023 | 2 tonnes | -33.3% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 2 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 90 tonnes, 2% of the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Malta's 2 tonnes is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 367 tonnes, 1% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Insecticide use in Malta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | +292.3% | 13 tonnes | 51 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 48.4 tonnes | 13 tonnes | 104 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.8 tonnes | 1 tonnes | 47 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.1 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 6 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.25 tonnes | 1 tonnes | 3 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malta
- 186 Cape Verde 4 tonnes compare
- 187 Mali 3 tonnes compare
- 187 Micronesia (country) 3 tonnes compare
- 189 Andorra 2 tonnes compare
- 189 Bhutan 2 tonnes compare
- 189 British Virgin Islands 2 tonnes compare
- 189 Faroe Islands 2 tonnes compare
- 189 Guam 2 tonnes compare
- 189 Montserrat 2 tonnes compare
- 189 Wallis and Futuna 2 tonnes compare
More reference data data for Malta
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0121 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0042 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0205 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0008 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0205 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0404 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0227 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0192 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1009 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0043 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is insecticide use in Malta?
- Insecticide use in Malta was 2 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 Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 104 tonnes in 1994.
- What is the lowest insecticide use recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2016.
- How does Malta rank for insecticide use?
- Malta ranks 189th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is insecticide use rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malta 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.