Pesticide use in South Africa
South Africa: Pesticide use was 42,041 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
42,041 tonnes
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
15th
of 211 countries
All-time high
42,620 tonnes
in 2021
All-time low
16,582 tonnes
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 42,041 tonnes for pesticide use in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in South Africa peaked at 42,620 tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 16,582 tonnes, in 1990.
That places South Africa 15th out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 16,582 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 16,582 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 16,582 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 16,582 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 16,582 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 18,025 tonnes | +8.7% |
| 1996 | 19,508 tonnes | +8.2% |
| 1997 | 21,596 tonnes | +10.7% |
| 1998 | 24,304 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 1999 | 26,099 tonnes | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 26,857 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 25,800 tonnes | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 27,247 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2003 | 27,370 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 27,992 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 29,697 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 28,718 tonnes | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 29,468 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 33,073 tonnes | +12.2% |
| 2009 | 32,609 tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 33,599 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 33,334 tonnes | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 34,395 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 36,324 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 38,387 tonnes | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 37,740 tonnes | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 35,862 tonnes | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 39,492 tonnes | +10.1% |
| 2018 | 39,024 tonnes | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 39,144 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 41,643 tonnes | +6.4% |
| 2021 | 42,620 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 42,244 tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 42,041 tonnes | -0.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 42,041 tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,066 tonnes, 20.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 42,041 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 747 tonnes, 56.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19,244 tonnes | 16,582 tonnes | 26,099 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 28,883 tonnes | 25,800 tonnes | 33,073 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 36,730 tonnes | 33,334 tonnes | 39,492 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 42,137 tonnes | 41,643 tonnes | 42,620 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in South Africa?
- Pesticide use in South Africa was 42,041 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 42,620 tonnes in 2021.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 16,582 tonnes in 1990.
- How does South Africa rank for pesticide use?
- South Africa ranks 15th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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.