Pesticide use in Portugal
Portugal: Pesticide use was 7,857 tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
7,857 tonnes
Change on year
down 13.1%
World rank
50th
of 211 countries
All-time high
17,452 tonnes
in 2002
All-time low
6,117 tonnes
in 1992
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use in Portugal, 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 Portugal is 7,857 tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.1% on the previous year and down 22.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Portugal peaked at 17,452 tonnes in 2002 and was at its lowest, 6,117 tonnes, in 1992.
That places Portugal 50th out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use in Portugal, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9,357 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 9,357 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 6,117 tonnes | -34.6% |
| 1993 | 8,985 tonnes | +46.9% |
| 1994 | 9,580 tonnes | +6.6% |
| 1995 | 11,815 tonnes | +23.3% |
| 1996 | 12,457 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1997 | 12,750 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 14,389 tonnes | +12.9% |
| 1999 | 15,411 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 2000 | 15,470 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 15,503 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 17,452 tonnes | +12.6% |
| 2003 | 17,030 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 16,942 tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 16,353 tonnes | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 15,702 tonnes | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 16,682 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 17,080 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 13,985 tonnes | -18.1% |
| 2010 | 13,774 tonnes | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 14,024 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 12,442 tonnes | -11.3% |
| 2013 | 10,123 tonnes | -18.6% |
| 2014 | 12,888 tonnes | +27.3% |
| 2015 | 10,003 tonnes | -22.4% |
| 2016 | 9,772 tonnes | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 8,103 tonnes | -17.1% |
| 2018 | 8,057 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 9,866 tonnes | +22.5% |
| 2020 | 9,706 tonnes | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 9,583 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 9,040 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2023 | 7,857 tonnes | -13.1% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 7,857 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,224 tonnes, 6.4× the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 7,857 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2,830 tonnes, 2.8× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11,022 tonnes | 6,117 tonnes | 15,411 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 16,220 tonnes | 13,985 tonnes | 17,452 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 10,905 tonnes | 8,057 tonnes | 14,024 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,046 tonnes | 7,857 tonnes | 9,706 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 47 Costa Rica 9,451 tonnes compare
- 48 Romania 9,157 tonnes compare
- 49 Kazakhstan 8,811 tonnes compare
- 51 Netherlands 7,263 tonnes compare
- 52 Benin 7,133 tonnes compare
- 53 Moldova 6,979 tonnes compare
More reference data data for Portugal
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5144 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4372 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0472 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2572 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Portugal?
- Pesticide use in Portugal was 7,857 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 17,452 tonnes in 2002.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,117 tonnes in 1992.
- How does Portugal rank for pesticide use?
- Portugal ranks 50th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal 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.