Pesticide use in Malawi
Malawi: Pesticide use was 2,036 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Pesticide use in Malawi, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 2,036 tonnes for pesticide use in 2023.
The figure is up 35.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Malawi peaked at 2,358 tonnes in 2014 and was at its lowest, 48 tonnes, in 2004.
That places Malawi 87th out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Pesticide use in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 172 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 172 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 172 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 172 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 172 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 172 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 172 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 172 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 136 tonnes | -20.9% |
| 1999 | 125 tonnes | -8.1% |
| 2000 | 210 tonnes | +68.0% |
| 2001 | 170 tonnes | -19.0% |
| 2002 | 129 tonnes | -24.1% |
| 2003 | 89 tonnes | -31.0% |
| 2004 | 48 tonnes | -46.1% |
| 2005 | 296 tonnes | +516.7% |
| 2006 | 202 tonnes | -31.8% |
| 2007 | 524 tonnes | +159.4% |
| 2008 | 625 tonnes | +19.3% |
| 2009 | 736 tonnes | +17.8% |
| 2010 | 584 tonnes | -20.7% |
| 2011 | 554 tonnes | -5.1% |
| 2012 | 776 tonnes | +40.1% |
| 2013 | 1,500 tonnes | +93.3% |
| 2014 | 2,358 tonnes | +57.2% |
| 2015 | 2,218 tonnes | -5.9% |
| 2016 | 2,078 tonnes | -6.3% |
| 2017 | 1,939 tonnes | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 1,799 tonnes | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 1,659 tonnes | -7.8% |
| 2020 | 1,519 tonnes | -8.4% |
| 2021 | 1,420 tonnes | -6.5% |
| 2022 | 2,036 tonnes | +43.4% |
| 2023 | 2,036 tonnes | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 2,036 tonnes is above the median for low income countries, which is 895 tonnes, 2.3× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 2,036 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 747 tonnes, 2.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Pesticide use in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +516.7% | 48 tonnes | 296 tonnes |
| 2007 | +159.4% | 202 tonnes | 524 tonnes |
| 2013 | +93.3% | 776 tonnes | 1,500 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 163.7 tonnes | 125 tonnes | 172 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 302.9 tonnes | 48 tonnes | 736 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,546 tonnes | 554 tonnes | 2,358 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,753 tonnes | 1,420 tonnes | 2,036 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More reference data data for Malawi
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1596 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3426 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5353 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.6012 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 16.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.87 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Malawi?
- Pesticide use in Malawi was 2,036 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 2,358 tonnes in 2014.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 48 tonnes in 2004.
- How does Malawi rank for pesticide use?
- Malawi ranks 87th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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.