Pesticide use in Botswana
Botswana: Pesticide use was 1,272 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Pesticide use in Botswana, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 1,272 tonnes for pesticide use in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.5% on the previous year and up 163.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Botswana peaked at 1,405 tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 171 tonnes, in 1995.
That places Botswana 105th 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.
Pesticide use in Botswana, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 351 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 331 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 1992 | 313 tonnes | -5.4% |
| 1993 | 257 tonnes | -17.9% |
| 1994 | 209 tonnes | -18.7% |
| 1995 | 171 tonnes | -18.2% |
| 1996 | 177 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 193 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1998 | 227 tonnes | +17.6% |
| 1999 | 287 tonnes | +26.4% |
| 2000 | 374 tonnes | +30.3% |
| 2001 | 436 tonnes | +16.6% |
| 2002 | 434 tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 380 tonnes | -12.4% |
| 2004 | 316 tonnes | -16.8% |
| 2005 | 328 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 408 tonnes | +24.4% |
| 2007 | 434 tonnes | +6.4% |
| 2008 | 429 tonnes | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 377 tonnes | -12.1% |
| 2010 | 390 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 425 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 2012 | 457 tonnes | +7.5% |
| 2013 | 482 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 469 tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 615 tonnes | +31.1% |
| 2016 | 739 tonnes | +20.2% |
| 2017 | 944 tonnes | +27.7% |
| 2018 | 878 tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2019 | 995 tonnes | +13.3% |
| 2020 | 1,193 tonnes | +19.9% |
| 2021 | 1,386 tonnes | +16.2% |
| 2022 | 1,405 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 1,272 tonnes | -9.5% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 1,272 tonnes is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,066 tonnes, 62% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 1,272 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 747 tonnes, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 251.6 tonnes | 171 tonnes | 351 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 391.6 tonnes | 316 tonnes | 436 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 639.4 tonnes | 390 tonnes | 995 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,314 tonnes | 1,193 tonnes | 1,405 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More reference data data for Botswana
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0472 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0078 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0825 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0424 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Botswana?
- Pesticide use in Botswana was 1,272 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 pesticide use recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 1,405 tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 171 tonnes in 1995.
- How does Botswana rank for pesticide use?
- Botswana ranks 105th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 163.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana 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 Pesticide 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
Total pesticide use measured in tonnes of pesticide consumption per year.