Insecticide use in Nepal
Nepal: Insecticide use was 370 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Insecticide use in Nepal, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, insecticide use in Nepal stood at 370 tonnes. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 128.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, insecticide use in Nepal peaked at 370 tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 35 tonnes, in 1990.
That places Nepal 85th 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 Nepal, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 35 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 35 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 35 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 35 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 35 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 35 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 36 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 37 tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 38 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 39 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 41 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 2001 | 42 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 43 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 44 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 45 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 65 tonnes | +44.4% |
| 2006 | 47 tonnes | -27.7% |
| 2007 | 63 tonnes | +34.0% |
| 2008 | 108 tonnes | +71.4% |
| 2009 | 62 tonnes | -42.6% |
| 2010 | 96 tonnes | +54.8% |
| 2011 | 114 tonnes | +18.8% |
| 2012 | 139 tonnes | +21.9% |
| 2013 | 162 tonnes | +16.5% |
| 2014 | 155 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 181 tonnes | +16.8% |
| 2016 | 197 tonnes | +8.8% |
| 2017 | 214 tonnes | +8.6% |
| 2018 | 230 tonnes | +7.5% |
| 2019 | 246 tonnes | +7.0% |
| 2020 | 163 tonnes | -33.7% |
| 2021 | 186 tonnes | +14.1% |
| 2022 | 370 tonnes | +98.9% |
| 2023 | 370 tonnes | +0.0% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 370 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 351.5 tonnes, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 370 tonnes is above the median for South Asia, which is 307 tonnes, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Insecticide use in Nepal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +98.9% | 186 tonnes | 370 tonnes |
| 2008 | +71.4% | 63 tonnes | 108 tonnes |
| 2010 | +54.8% | 62 tonnes | 96 tonnes |
| 2009 | -42.6% | 108 tonnes | 62 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36 tonnes | 35 tonnes | 39 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 56 tonnes | 41 tonnes | 108 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 173.4 tonnes | 96 tonnes | 246 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 272.25 tonnes | 163 tonnes | 370 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More reference data data for Nepal
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7753 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7853 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.7974 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.28 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.28 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is insecticide use in Nepal?
- Insecticide use in Nepal was 370 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 370 tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest insecticide use recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 35 tonnes in 1990.
- How does Nepal rank for insecticide use?
- Nepal ranks 85th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is insecticide use rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 128.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal 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.