Pesticide use in Congo
Congo: Pesticide use was 2,854 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Pesticide use in Congo, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, pesticide use in Congo stood at 2,854 tonnes. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 29.8% on the previous year and up 232.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Congo peaked at 2,854 tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 41 tonnes, in 1990.
That places Congo 80th 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 Congo, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 41 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 48 tonnes | +17.1% |
| 1992 | 65 tonnes | +35.4% |
| 1993 | 104 tonnes | +60.0% |
| 1994 | 156 tonnes | +50.0% |
| 1995 | 205 tonnes | +31.4% |
| 1996 | 239 tonnes | +16.6% |
| 1997 | 260 tonnes | +8.8% |
| 1998 | 281 tonnes | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 302 tonnes | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 323 tonnes | +7.0% |
| 2001 | 344 tonnes | +6.5% |
| 2002 | 365 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 386 tonnes | +5.8% |
| 2004 | 407 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2005 | 428 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 449 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 424 tonnes | -5.6% |
| 2008 | 463 tonnes | +9.2% |
| 2009 | 480 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 599 tonnes | +24.8% |
| 2011 | 653 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 2012 | 770 tonnes | +17.9% |
| 2013 | 858 tonnes | +11.4% |
| 2014 | 803 tonnes | -6.4% |
| 2015 | 691 tonnes | -13.9% |
| 2016 | 500 tonnes | -27.6% |
| 2017 | 463 tonnes | -7.4% |
| 2018 | 471 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 579 tonnes | +22.9% |
| 2020 | 724 tonnes | +25.0% |
| 2021 | 1,488 tonnes | +105.5% |
| 2022 | 2,198 tonnes | +47.7% |
| 2023 | 2,854 tonnes | +29.8% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 2,854 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,280 tonnes, 2.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Congo's 2,854 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 747 tonnes, 3.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Pesticide use in Congo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +105.5% | 724 tonnes | 1,488 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 170.1 tonnes | 41 tonnes | 302 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 406.9 tonnes | 323 tonnes | 480 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 638.7 tonnes | 463 tonnes | 858 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,816 tonnes | 724 tonnes | 2,854 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More reference data data for Congo
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0199 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1866 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0031 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.2108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0668 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0724 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9126 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.017 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Congo?
- Pesticide use in Congo was 2,854 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 Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 2,854 tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 41 tonnes in 1990.
- How does Congo rank for pesticide use?
- Congo ranks 80th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 232.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Congo 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.