Pesticide use in China
China: Pesticide use was 217,996 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
217,996 tonnes
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
5th
of 211 countries
All-time high
341,225 tonnes
in 2013
All-time low
144,460 tonnes
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use in China, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
China recorded 217,996 tonnes for pesticide use in 2023.
The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 36.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in China peaked at 341,225 tonnes in 2013 and was at its lowest, 144,460 tonnes, in 1990.
That places China 5th 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 China, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 144,460 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 144,460 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 150,859 tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1993 | 159,466 tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1994 | 184,722 tonnes | +15.8% |
| 1995 | 205,184 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 1996 | 215,340 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 225,665 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 232,498 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 249,468 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 2000 | 241,521 tonnes | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 240,634 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 247,524 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 250,147 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 261,624 tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 275,574 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 290,146 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 306,323 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 315,667 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 322,594 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 331,881 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 337,318 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 340,923 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 341,225 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 340,394 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 336,563 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 328,540 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 312,420 tonnes | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 283,822 tonnes | -9.2% |
| 2019 | 262,700 tonnes | -7.4% |
| 2020 | 247,844 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 233,876 tonnes | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 224,717 tonnes | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 217,996 tonnes | -3.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 217,996 tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,066 tonnes, 105.5× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- China's 217,996 tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 287 tonnes, 759.6× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 191,212 tonnes | 144,460 tonnes | 249,468 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 275,175 tonnes | 240,634 tonnes | 322,594 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 321,579 tonnes | 262,700 tonnes | 341,225 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 231,108 tonnes | 217,996 tonnes | 247,844 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in China?
- Pesticide use in China was 217,996 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 341,225 tonnes in 2013.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 144,460 tonnes in 1990.
- How does China rank for pesticide use?
- China ranks 5th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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.