Pesticide use in Italy
Italy: Pesticide use was 39,571 tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Pesticide use in Italy, 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 Italy is 39,571 tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of down 10.9% on the previous year and down 28.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Italy peaked at 100,596 tonnes in 1990 and was at its lowest, 39,571 tonnes, in 2023.
That places Italy 18th out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use in Italy, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 100,596 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 88,917 tonnes | -11.6% |
| 1992 | 88,228 tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 89,282 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 81,218 tonnes | -9.0% |
| 1995 | 84,153 tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 74,617 tonnes | -11.3% |
| 1997 | 84,799 tonnes | +13.6% |
| 1998 | 84,117 tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 81,583 tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 79,447 tonnes | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 75,978 tonnes | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 94,211 tonnes | +24.0% |
| 2003 | 86,058 tonnes | -8.7% |
| 2004 | 83,810 tonnes | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 84,647 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 74,349 tonnes | -12.2% |
| 2007 | 80,454 tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2008 | 79,643 tonnes | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 74,172 tonnes | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 71,613 tonnes | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 70,326 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 61,650 tonnes | -12.3% |
| 2013 | 55,455 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2014 | 59,235 tonnes | +6.8% |
| 2015 | 63,085 tonnes | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 59,964 tonnes | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 56,451 tonnes | -5.9% |
| 2018 | 54,039 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 48,405 tonnes | -10.4% |
| 2020 | 56,373 tonnes | +16.5% |
| 2021 | 50,177 tonnes | -11.0% |
| 2022 | 44,424 tonnes | -11.5% |
| 2023 | 39,571 tonnes | -10.9% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 39,571 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,224 tonnes, 32.3× the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Italy's 39,571 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2,830 tonnes, 14.0× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 85,751 tonnes | 74,617 tonnes | 100,596 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 81,277 tonnes | 74,172 tonnes | 94,211 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 60,022 tonnes | 48,405 tonnes | 71,613 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 47,636 tonnes | 39,571 tonnes | 56,373 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More reference data data for Italy
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.927 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 8.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 8.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 41.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 5.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Italy?
- Pesticide use in Italy was 39,571 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 100,596 tonnes in 1990.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 39,571 tonnes in 2023.
- How does Italy rank for pesticide use?
- Italy ranks 18th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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.