Pesticide use in Canada
Canada: Pesticide use was 95,645 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
95,645 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
9th
of 211 countries
All-time high
98,304 tonnes
in 2017
All-time low
29,206 tonnes
in 1994
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use in Canada, 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 Canada is 95,645 tonnes, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Canada peaked at 98,304 tonnes in 2017 and was at its lowest, 29,206 tonnes, in 1994.
That places Canada 9th out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use in Canada, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 29,568 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 29,478 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 29,387 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 29,297 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 29,206 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 32,235 tonnes | +10.4% |
| 1996 | 35,264 tonnes | +9.4% |
| 1997 | 38,293 tonnes | +8.6% |
| 1998 | 41,322 tonnes | +7.9% |
| 1999 | 44,351 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 2000 | 39,718 tonnes | -10.4% |
| 2001 | 38,501 tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 34,265 tonnes | -11.0% |
| 2003 | 35,628 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 36,164 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 36,382 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 36,586 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 45,146 tonnes | +23.4% |
| 2008 | 53,707 tonnes | +19.0% |
| 2009 | 54,529 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 61,050 tonnes | +12.0% |
| 2011 | 62,107 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 73,509 tonnes | +18.4% |
| 2013 | 81,660 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 2014 | 76,314 tonnes | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 75,318 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 90,926 tonnes | +20.7% |
| 2017 | 98,304 tonnes | +8.1% |
| 2018 | 87,632 tonnes | -10.9% |
| 2019 | 78,893 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2020 | 92,960 tonnes | +17.8% |
| 2021 | 97,692 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 2022 | 95,645 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 95,645 tonnes | +0.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 95,645 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,224 tonnes, 78.1× the median. (73 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33,840 tonnes | 29,206 tonnes | 44,351 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 41,063 tonnes | 34,265 tonnes | 54,529 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 78,571 tonnes | 61,050 tonnes | 98,304 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 95,486 tonnes | 92,960 tonnes | 97,692 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Canada?
- Pesticide use in Canada was 95,645 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 98,304 tonnes in 2017.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 29,206 tonnes in 1994.
- How does Canada rank for pesticide use?
- Canada ranks 9th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada 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.