Pesticide use in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Pesticide use was 361 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
361 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
142nd
of 211 countries
All-time high
406 tonnes
in 2017
All-time low
59 tonnes
in 2003
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use in Sierra Leone, 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 Sierra Leone stood at 361 tonnes.
That represents a change of up 77.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Sierra Leone peaked at 406 tonnes in 2017 and was at its lowest, 59 tonnes, in 2003.
That places Sierra Leone 142nd out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 261 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 261 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 261 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 261 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 261 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 261 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 261 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 261 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 261 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 261 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 225 tonnes | -13.8% |
| 2001 | 153 tonnes | -32.0% |
| 2002 | 86 tonnes | -43.8% |
| 2003 | 59 tonnes | -31.4% |
| 2004 | 74 tonnes | +25.4% |
| 2005 | 88 tonnes | +18.9% |
| 2006 | 103 tonnes | +17.0% |
| 2007 | 117 tonnes | +13.6% |
| 2008 | 131 tonnes | +12.0% |
| 2009 | 146 tonnes | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 160 tonnes | +9.6% |
| 2011 | 175 tonnes | +9.4% |
| 2012 | 189 tonnes | +8.0% |
| 2013 | 204 tonnes | +7.9% |
| 2014 | 226 tonnes | +10.8% |
| 2015 | 342 tonnes | +51.3% |
| 2016 | 371 tonnes | +8.5% |
| 2017 | 406 tonnes | +9.4% |
| 2018 | 343 tonnes | -15.5% |
| 2019 | 361 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 361 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 361 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 361 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 361 tonnes | +0.0% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 361 tonnes is below the median for low income countries, which is 895 tonnes, 40% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 361 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 747 tonnes, 48% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 261 tonnes | 261 tonnes | 261 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 118.2 tonnes | 59 tonnes | 225 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 277.7 tonnes | 160 tonnes | 406 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 361 tonnes | 361 tonnes | 361 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More reference data data for Sierra Leone
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0238 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4498 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0797 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.044 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.6534 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Sierra Leone?
- Pesticide use in Sierra Leone was 361 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 Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 406 tonnes in 2017.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 59 tonnes in 2003.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for pesticide use?
- Sierra Leone ranks 142nd out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 77.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.