Pesticide use in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Pesticide use was 3,430 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Pesticide use in Bulgaria, 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 pesticide use in Bulgaria is 3,430 tonnes, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 21.8% on the previous year and up 186.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Bulgaria peaked at 6,660 tonnes in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1,002 tonnes, in 2014.
Bulgaria ranks 71st of 211 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3,906 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 3,906 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 3,906 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 3,777 tonnes | -3.3% |
| 1994 | 3,649 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 3,520 tonnes | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 3,391 tonnes | -3.7% |
| 1997 | 3,262 tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 3,134 tonnes | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 3,005 tonnes | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 2,876 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2001 | 2,747 tonnes | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 2,619 tonnes | -4.7% |
| 2003 | 2,490 tonnes | -4.9% |
| 2004 | 2,361 tonnes | -5.2% |
| 2005 | 2,232 tonnes | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 2,104 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 1,975 tonnes | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 1,846 tonnes | -6.5% |
| 2009 | 1,717 tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2010 | 1,589 tonnes | -7.5% |
| 2011 | 1,460 tonnes | -8.1% |
| 2012 | 1,331 tonnes | -8.8% |
| 2013 | 1,196 tonnes | -10.1% |
| 2014 | 1,002 tonnes | -16.2% |
| 2015 | 1,542 tonnes | +53.9% |
| 2016 | 3,759 tonnes | +143.8% |
| 2017 | 3,383 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2018 | 5,044 tonnes | +49.1% |
| 2019 | 6,660 tonnes | +32.0% |
| 2020 | 4,226 tonnes | -36.5% |
| 2021 | 4,482 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 2022 | 4,385 tonnes | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 3,430 tonnes | -21.8% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 3,430 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,224 tonnes, 2.8× the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 3,430 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2,830 tonnes, 1.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Pesticide use in Bulgaria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +143.8% | 1,542 tonnes | 3,759 tonnes |
| 2015 | +53.9% | 1,002 tonnes | 1,542 tonnes |
| 2018 | +49.1% | 3,383 tonnes | 5,044 tonnes |
| 2019 | +32.0% | 5,044 tonnes | 6,660 tonnes |
| 2020 | -36.5% | 6,660 tonnes | 4,226 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3,546 tonnes | 3,005 tonnes | 3,906 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,297 tonnes | 1,717 tonnes | 2,876 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,697 tonnes | 1,002 tonnes | 6,660 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,131 tonnes | 3,430 tonnes | 4,482 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More reference data data for Bulgaria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3067 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2728 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2506 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.36 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Bulgaria?
- Pesticide use in Bulgaria was 3,430 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 Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 6,660 tonnes in 2019.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,002 tonnes in 2014.
- How does Bulgaria rank for pesticide use?
- Bulgaria ranks 71st out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 186.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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.