Pesticide use in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Pesticide use was 55 tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Pesticide use in Hong Kong, 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 Hong Kong is 55 tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.0% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Hong Kong peaked at 115 tonnes in 1990 and was at its lowest, 41 tonnes, in 2010.
That places Hong Kong 172nd out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use in Hong Kong, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 115 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 95 tonnes | -17.4% |
| 1992 | 84 tonnes | -11.6% |
| 1993 | 74 tonnes | -11.9% |
| 1994 | 71 tonnes | -4.1% |
| 1995 | 45 tonnes | -36.6% |
| 1996 | 45 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 46 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 46 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 47 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 47 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 53 tonnes | +12.8% |
| 2002 | 84 tonnes | +58.5% |
| 2003 | 90 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 2004 | 51 tonnes | -43.3% |
| 2005 | 45 tonnes | -11.8% |
| 2006 | 48 tonnes | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 45 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 2008 | 55 tonnes | +22.2% |
| 2009 | 46 tonnes | -16.4% |
| 2010 | 41 tonnes | -10.9% |
| 2011 | 63 tonnes | +53.7% |
| 2012 | 56 tonnes | -11.1% |
| 2013 | 57 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 58 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 51 tonnes | -12.1% |
| 2016 | 65 tonnes | +27.5% |
| 2017 | 58 tonnes | -10.8% |
| 2018 | 68 tonnes | +17.2% |
| 2019 | 55 tonnes | -19.1% |
| 2020 | 55 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 45 tonnes | -18.2% |
| 2022 | 50 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 2023 | 55 tonnes | +10.0% |
Hong Kong compared with similar countries
- Hong Kong's 55 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 1,224 tonnes, 4% of the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Hong Kong's 55 tonnes is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 287 tonnes, 19% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.8 tonnes | 45 tonnes | 115 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.4 tonnes | 45 tonnes | 90 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.2 tonnes | 41 tonnes | 68 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.25 tonnes | 45 tonnes | 55 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
More reference data data for Hong Kong
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0072 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0072 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0011 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0 (1990)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0012 (2050)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.441 °C (2026)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Burning - Crop residues 0 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Manure Management 6.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.004 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure applied 1.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Hong Kong?
- Pesticide use in Hong Kong was 55 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 Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 115 tonnes in 1990.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 41 tonnes in 2010.
- How does Hong Kong rank for pesticide use?
- Hong Kong ranks 172nd out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Hong Kong 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.