Pesticide use in Germany
Germany: Pesticide use was 40,494 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
40,494 tonnes
Change on year
down 15.9%
World rank
16th
of 211 countries
All-time high
48,712 tonnes
in 2021
All-time low
25,170 tonnes
in 1993
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use in Germany, 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 Germany stood at 40,494 tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.9% on the previous year and down 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Germany peaked at 48,712 tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 25,170 tonnes, in 1993.
That places Germany 16th 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 Germany, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 31,289 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 32,006 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 29,542 tonnes | -7.7% |
| 1993 | 25,170 tonnes | -14.8% |
| 1994 | 26,330 tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1995 | 30,090 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 1996 | 31,683 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 30,414 tonnes | -4.0% |
| 1998 | 33,377 tonnes | +9.7% |
| 1999 | 30,019 tonnes | -10.1% |
| 2000 | 35,273 tonnes | +17.5% |
| 2001 | 33,423 tonnes | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 34,432 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 35,539 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 34,930 tonnes | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 36,386 tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 38,540 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 2007 | 40,741 tonnes | +5.7% |
| 2008 | 43,413 tonnes | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 39,289 tonnes | -9.5% |
| 2010 | 40,832 tonnes | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 43,856 tonnes | +7.4% |
| 2012 | 45,522 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 43,525 tonnes | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 46,078 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 2015 | 47,851 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 46,889 tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 48,307 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 44,961 tonnes | -6.9% |
| 2019 | 45,181 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 47,974 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2021 | 48,712 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 48,169 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 40,494 tonnes | -15.9% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 40,494 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,224 tonnes, 33.1× the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Germany's 40,494 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2,830 tonnes, 14.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 29,992 tonnes | 25,170 tonnes | 33,377 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 37,197 tonnes | 33,423 tonnes | 43,413 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 45,300 tonnes | 40,832 tonnes | 48,307 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 46,337 tonnes | 40,494 tonnes | 48,712 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More reference data data for Germany
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 16.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 16.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 15.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 9.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.87 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 80.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 10.56 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Germany?
- Pesticide use in Germany was 40,494 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 48,712 tonnes in 2021.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 25,170 tonnes in 1993.
- How does Germany rank for pesticide use?
- Germany ranks 16th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany 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.