Insecticide use in Switzerland
Switzerland: Insecticide use was 248 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Insecticide use in Switzerland, 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 Switzerland is 248 tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 50.9% on the previous year and down 28.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, insecticide use in Switzerland peaked at 505 tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 76 tonnes, in 2004.
That places Switzerland 107th 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 Switzerland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 223 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 123 tonnes | -44.8% |
| 1992 | 127 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 123 tonnes | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 111 tonnes | -9.8% |
| 1995 | 95 tonnes | -14.4% |
| 1996 | 111 tonnes | +16.8% |
| 1997 | 98 tonnes | -11.7% |
| 1998 | 95 tonnes | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 95 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 97 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 95 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 90 tonnes | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 89 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 76 tonnes | -14.6% |
| 2005 | 78 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 84 tonnes | +7.7% |
| 2007 | 80 tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 263 tonnes | +228.8% |
| 2009 | 313 tonnes | +19.0% |
| 2010 | 252 tonnes | -19.5% |
| 2011 | 309 tonnes | +22.6% |
| 2012 | 323 tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 346 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 2014 | 349 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 271 tonnes | -22.3% |
| 2016 | 315 tonnes | +16.2% |
| 2017 | 282 tonnes | -10.5% |
| 2018 | 261 tonnes | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 318 tonnes | +21.8% |
| 2020 | 290 tonnes | -8.8% |
| 2021 | 441 tonnes | +52.1% |
| 2022 | 505 tonnes | +14.5% |
| 2023 | 248 tonnes | -50.9% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 248 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 90 tonnes, 2.8× the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 248 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 198 tonnes, 1.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Insecticide use in Switzerland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +228.8% | 80 tonnes | 263 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 120.1 tonnes | 95 tonnes | 223 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 126.5 tonnes | 76 tonnes | 313 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 302.6 tonnes | 252 tonnes | 349 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 371 tonnes | 248 tonnes | 505 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More reference data data for Switzerland
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5507 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2683 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.28 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.28 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.272 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is insecticide use in Switzerland?
- Insecticide use in Switzerland was 248 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 505 tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest insecticide use recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 76 tonnes in 2004.
- How does Switzerland rank for insecticide use?
- Switzerland ranks 107th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is insecticide use rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.