Pesticide use in Malawi

Malawi: Pesticide use was 2,036 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
2,036 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
87th
of 211 countries
All-time high
2,358 tonnes
in 2014
All-time low
48 tonnes
in 2004
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Pesticide use in Malawi, 1990–2023

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2.5k1990200620231990: 172 tonnes1991: 172 tonnes1992: 172 tonnes1993: 172 tonnes1994: 172 tonnes1995: 172 tonnes1996: 172 tonnes1997: 172 tonnes1998: 136 tonnes1999: 125 tonnes2000: 210 tonnes2001: 170 tonnes2002: 129 tonnes2003: 89 tonnes2004: 48 tonnes2005: 296 tonnes2006: 202 tonnes2007: 524 tonnes2008: 625 tonnes2009: 736 tonnes2010: 584 tonnes2011: 554 tonnes2012: 776 tonnes2013: 1.5k tonnes2014: 2.4k tonnes2015: 2.2k tonnes2016: 2.1k tonnes2017: 1.9k tonnes2018: 1.8k tonnes2019: 1.7k tonnes2020: 1.5k tonnes2021: 1.4k tonnes2022: 2.0k tonnes2023: 2.0k tonnes

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 84 Serbia 2,249 tonnes compare
  2. 85 Zimbabwe 2,185 tonnes compare
  3. 86 Suriname 2,149 tonnes compare
  4. 88 Sweden 2,033 tonnes compare
  5. 89 Rwanda 2,027 tonnes compare
  6. 90 Dominican Republic 1,984 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

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

Indicator
Pesticide use
Unit
tonnes
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
211 places, 7,015 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Total pesticide use measured in tonnes of pesticide consumption per year.