Pesticide use in Sweden
Sweden: Pesticide use was 2,033 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Pesticide use in Sweden, 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 Sweden is 2,033 tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.0% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Sweden peaked at 2,549 tonnes in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1,225 tonnes, in 1995.
That places Sweden 88th 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 Sweden, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,310 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 1,841 tonnes | -20.3% |
| 1992 | 1,497 tonnes | -18.7% |
| 1993 | 1,466 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1994 | 1,962 tonnes | +33.8% |
| 1995 | 1,225 tonnes | -37.6% |
| 1996 | 1,529 tonnes | +24.8% |
| 1997 | 1,534 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 1,555 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 1,602 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 1,721 tonnes | +7.4% |
| 2001 | 1,789 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 2,198 tonnes | +22.9% |
| 2003 | 2,549 tonnes | +16.0% |
| 2004 | 1,353 tonnes | -46.9% |
| 2005 | 2,132 tonnes | +57.6% |
| 2006 | 2,220 tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 2,157 tonnes | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 2,352 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 2009 | 1,935 tonnes | -17.7% |
| 2010 | 1,982 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 2,416 tonnes | +21.9% |
| 2012 | 2,381 tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 2,178 tonnes | -8.5% |
| 2014 | 2,493 tonnes | +14.5% |
| 2015 | 2,321 tonnes | -6.9% |
| 2016 | 1,956 tonnes | -15.7% |
| 2017 | 2,061 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 1,871 tonnes | -9.2% |
| 2019 | 1,801 tonnes | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 2,047 tonnes | +13.7% |
| 2021 | 2,138 tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 2,338 tonnes | +9.4% |
| 2023 | 2,033 tonnes | -13.0% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 2,033 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,224 tonnes, 1.7× the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 2,033 tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2,830 tonnes, 72% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,652 tonnes | 1,225 tonnes | 2,310 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,041 tonnes | 1,353 tonnes | 2,549 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,146 tonnes | 1,801 tonnes | 2,493 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,139 tonnes | 2,033 tonnes | 2,338 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More reference data data for Sweden
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4328 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2237 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2063 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9766 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.12 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Sweden?
- Pesticide use in Sweden was 2,033 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 2,549 tonnes in 2003.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,225 tonnes in 1995.
- How does Sweden rank for pesticide use?
- Sweden ranks 88th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden 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.