Pesticide use in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Pesticide use was 15,040 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Pesticide use in Nicaragua, 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 Nicaragua stood at 15,040 tonnes.
That represents a change of up 16.5% on the previous year and up 124.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Nicaragua peaked at 15,658 tonnes in 2020 and was at its lowest, 575 tonnes, in 1990.
That places Nicaragua 35th out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Pesticide use in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 575 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 575 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 575 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 977 tonnes | +69.9% |
| 1994 | 799 tonnes | -18.2% |
| 1995 | 876 tonnes | +9.6% |
| 1996 | 2,042 tonnes | +133.1% |
| 1997 | 3,207 tonnes | +57.1% |
| 1998 | 4,373 tonnes | +36.4% |
| 1999 | 4,097 tonnes | -6.3% |
| 2000 | 3,926 tonnes | -4.2% |
| 2001 | 3,604 tonnes | -8.2% |
| 2002 | 5,476 tonnes | +51.9% |
| 2003 | 5,851 tonnes | +6.8% |
| 2004 | 5,299 tonnes | -9.4% |
| 2005 | 9,392 tonnes | +77.2% |
| 2006 | 6,889 tonnes | -26.7% |
| 2007 | 9,850 tonnes | +43.0% |
| 2008 | 10,174 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 9,388 tonnes | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 12,242 tonnes | +30.4% |
| 2011 | 4,932 tonnes | -59.7% |
| 2012 | 4,414 tonnes | -10.5% |
| 2013 | 6,705 tonnes | +51.9% |
| 2014 | 6,827 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 7,846 tonnes | +14.9% |
| 2016 | 7,682 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 7,902 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 6,994 tonnes | -11.5% |
| 2019 | 7,808 tonnes | +11.6% |
| 2020 | 15,658 tonnes | +100.5% |
| 2021 | 13,710 tonnes | -12.4% |
| 2022 | 12,907 tonnes | -5.9% |
| 2023 | 15,040 tonnes | +16.5% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 15,040 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,280 tonnes, 11.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 15,040 tonnes is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1,984 tonnes, 7.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Pesticide use in Nicaragua 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +133.1% | 876 tonnes | 2,042 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,810 tonnes | 575 tonnes | 4,373 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 6,985 tonnes | 3,604 tonnes | 10,174 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 7,335 tonnes | 4,414 tonnes | 12,242 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 14,329 tonnes | 12,907 tonnes | 15,658 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
More reference data data for Nicaragua
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4575 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0819 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.4557 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4457 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Nicaragua?
- Pesticide use in Nicaragua was 15,040 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 Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 15,658 tonnes in 2020.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 575 tonnes in 1990.
- How does Nicaragua rank for pesticide use?
- Nicaragua ranks 35th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is up 124.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nicaragua 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.