Pesticide use in Ireland
Ireland: Pesticide use was 2,274 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Pesticide use in Ireland, 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 Ireland stood at 2,274 tonnes.
That represents a change of down 16.4% on the previous year and down 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Ireland peaked at 3,692 tonnes in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1,577 tonnes, in 1996.
That places Ireland 83rd out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,014 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 2,014 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2,014 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2,014 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 2,014 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 2,152 tonnes | +6.9% |
| 1996 | 1,577 tonnes | -26.7% |
| 1997 | 2,201 tonnes | +39.6% |
| 1998 | 2,257 tonnes | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 1,930 tonnes | -14.5% |
| 2000 | 1,942 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 2,334 tonnes | +20.2% |
| 2002 | 2,614 tonnes | +12.0% |
| 2003 | 2,719 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 2,978 tonnes | +9.5% |
| 2005 | 2,625 tonnes | -11.9% |
| 2006 | 2,767 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2007 | 3,083 tonnes | +11.4% |
| 2008 | 2,790 tonnes | -9.5% |
| 2009 | 2,268 tonnes | -18.7% |
| 2010 | 2,529 tonnes | +11.5% |
| 2011 | 3,692 tonnes | +46.0% |
| 2012 | 2,783 tonnes | -24.6% |
| 2013 | 2,913 tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 3,353 tonnes | +15.1% |
| 2015 | 3,504 tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 3,113 tonnes | -11.2% |
| 2017 | 2,942 tonnes | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 2,651 tonnes | -9.9% |
| 2019 | 2,972 tonnes | +12.1% |
| 2020 | 2,910 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 3,091 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 2,720 tonnes | -12.0% |
| 2023 | 2,274 tonnes | -16.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 2,274 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,224 tonnes, 1.9× the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 2,274 tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2,830 tonnes, 80% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,019 tonnes | 1,577 tonnes | 2,257 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,612 tonnes | 1,942 tonnes | 3,083 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,045 tonnes | 2,529 tonnes | 3,692 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,749 tonnes | 2,274 tonnes | 3,091 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More reference data data for Ireland
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0921 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.87 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.5015 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Ireland?
- Pesticide use in Ireland was 2,274 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 3,692 tonnes in 2011.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,577 tonnes in 1996.
- How does Ireland rank for pesticide use?
- Ireland ranks 83rd out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.