Pesticide use in El Salvador
El Salvador: Pesticide use was 2,787 tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Pesticide use in El Salvador, 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 El Salvador stood at 2,787 tonnes.
The figure is up 80.7% on the previous year and down 53.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in El Salvador peaked at 6,005 tonnes in 2013 and was at its lowest, 1,419 tonnes, in 2016.
El Salvador ranks 81st of 211 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,524 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 4,096 tonnes | +62.3% |
| 1992 | 3,941 tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1993 | 3,786 tonnes | -3.9% |
| 1994 | 3,630 tonnes | -4.1% |
| 1995 | 3,475 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 1996 | 3,320 tonnes | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 3,165 tonnes | -4.7% |
| 1998 | 3,009 tonnes | -4.9% |
| 1999 | 2,854 tonnes | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 2,699 tonnes | -5.4% |
| 2001 | 2,544 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2002 | 2,388 tonnes | -6.1% |
| 2003 | 2,233 tonnes | -6.5% |
| 2004 | 2,078 tonnes | -6.9% |
| 2005 | 1,923 tonnes | -7.5% |
| 2006 | 2,266 tonnes | +17.8% |
| 2007 | 1,941 tonnes | -14.3% |
| 2008 | 3,899 tonnes | +100.9% |
| 2009 | 3,334 tonnes | -14.5% |
| 2010 | 3,599 tonnes | +7.9% |
| 2011 | 3,231 tonnes | -10.2% |
| 2012 | 2,595 tonnes | -19.7% |
| 2013 | 6,005 tonnes | +131.4% |
| 2014 | 5,638 tonnes | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 1,747 tonnes | -69.0% |
| 2016 | 1,419 tonnes | -18.8% |
| 2017 | 3,134 tonnes | +120.9% |
| 2018 | 2,956 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2019 | 2,526 tonnes | -14.5% |
| 2020 | 3,102 tonnes | +22.8% |
| 2021 | 3,835 tonnes | +23.6% |
| 2022 | 1,542 tonnes | -59.8% |
| 2023 | 2,787 tonnes | +80.7% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 2,787 tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,066 tonnes, 1.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 2,787 tonnes is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1,984 tonnes, 1.4× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Pesticide use in El Salvador 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | +131.4% | 2,595 tonnes | 6,005 tonnes |
| 2017 | +120.9% | 1,419 tonnes | 3,134 tonnes |
| 2008 | +100.9% | 1,941 tonnes | 3,899 tonnes |
| 2023 | +80.7% | 1,542 tonnes | 2,787 tonnes |
| 1991 | +62.3% | 2,524 tonnes | 4,096 tonnes |
| 2015 | -69.0% | 5,638 tonnes | 1,747 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3,380 tonnes | 2,524 tonnes | 4,096 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,530 tonnes | 1,923 tonnes | 3,899 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,285 tonnes | 1,419 tonnes | 6,005 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,816 tonnes | 1,542 tonnes | 3,835 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More reference data data for El Salvador
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2714 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.6267 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0909 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.3176 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4948 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in El Salvador?
- Pesticide use in El Salvador was 2,787 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 6,005 tonnes in 2013.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,419 tonnes in 2016.
- How does El Salvador rank for pesticide use?
- El Salvador ranks 81st out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.