Pesticide use in South Korea
South Korea: Pesticide use was 20,402 tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Pesticide use in South Korea, 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 South Korea is 20,402 tonnes, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in South Korea peaked at 28,218 tonnes in 2001 and was at its lowest, 16,745 tonnes, in 2019.
South Korea ranks 24th of 211 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25,442 tonnes | 22,103 tonnes | 27,476 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 25,068 tonnes | 22,790 tonnes | 28,218 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 19,028 tonnes | 16,745 tonnes | 20,431 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 19,108 tonnes | 17,132 tonnes | 20,402 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South Korea
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- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7164 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.8996 °C (2026)
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- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.24 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9115 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 135 2010 = 100 (2025)
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- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in South Korea?
- Pesticide use in South Korea was 20,402 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 28,218 tonnes in 2001.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 16,745 tonnes in 2019.
- How does South Korea rank for pesticide use?
- South Korea ranks 24th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea 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.