Insecticide use in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Insecticide use was 330 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
330 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
90th
of 211 countries
All-time high
3,029 tonnes
in 2011
All-time low
132 tonnes
in 2018
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Insecticide use in United Kingdom, 1990–2023

01.0k2.0k3.0k1990200620231990: 2.1k tonnes1991: 1.9k tonnes1992: 1.6k tonnes1993: 1.6k tonnes1994: 1.8k tonnes1995: 1.7k tonnes1996: 1.7k tonnes1997: 1.7k tonnes1998: 1.6k tonnes1999: 1.6k tonnes2000: 1.7k tonnes2001: 1.6k tonnes2002: 1.6k tonnes2003: 1.4k tonnes2004: 1.3k tonnes2005: 1.3k tonnes2006: 1.5k tonnes2007: 1.4k tonnes2008: 1.3k tonnes2009: 1.2k tonnes2010: 992 tonnes2011: 3.0k tonnes2012: 704 tonnes2013: 789 tonnes2014: 959 tonnes2015: 658 tonnes2016: 348 tonnes2017: 434 tonnes2018: 132 tonnes2019: 226 tonnes2020: 388 tonnes2021: 336 tonnes2022: 330 tonnes2023: 330 tonnes

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 United Kingdom stood at 330 tonnes.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 58.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, insecticide use in United Kingdom peaked at 3,029 tonnes in 2011 and was at its lowest, 132 tonnes, in 2018.

United Kingdom ranks 90th of 211 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1,703 tonnes 1,553 tonnes 2,083 tonnes 10
2000s 1,429 tonnes 1,237 tonnes 1,732 tonnes 10
2010s 827.1 tonnes 132 tonnes 3,029 tonnes 10
2020s 346 tonnes 330 tonnes 388 tonnes 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 87 Fiji 344 tonnes compare
  2. 88 Serbia 335 tonnes compare
  3. 89 Eswatini 333 tonnes compare
  4. 91 Macao 318 tonnes compare
  5. 92 Rwanda 317 tonnes compare
  6. 93 Dominican Republic 311 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is insecticide use in United Kingdom?
Insecticide use in United Kingdom was 330 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 United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 3,029 tonnes in 2011.
What is the lowest insecticide use recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 132 tonnes in 2018.
How does United Kingdom rank for insecticide use?
United Kingdom ranks 90th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
Is insecticide use rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom 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

Indicator
Insecticide use
Unit
tonnes
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
211 places, 7,015 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Annual quantity of insecticides used in agriculture, measured as the tonnes of active ingredient per year.