Pesticide use in Uruguay
Uruguay: Pesticide use was 16,446 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
16,446 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
32nd
of 211 countries
All-time high
23,466 tonnes
in 2012
All-time low
1,634 tonnes
in 1993
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use in Uruguay, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Uruguay recorded 16,446 tonnes for pesticide use in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Uruguay peaked at 23,466 tonnes in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1,634 tonnes, in 1993.
Uruguay ranks 32nd of 211 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Pesticide use in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,762 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 1,762 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2,072 tonnes | +17.6% |
| 1993 | 1,634 tonnes | -21.1% |
| 1994 | 2,272 tonnes | +39.0% |
| 1995 | 2,413 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1996 | 3,444 tonnes | +42.7% |
| 1997 | 3,362 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 4,239 tonnes | +26.1% |
| 1999 | 3,925 tonnes | -7.4% |
| 2000 | 3,650 tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2001 | 4,433 tonnes | +21.5% |
| 2002 | 5,133 tonnes | +15.8% |
| 2003 | 7,432 tonnes | +44.8% |
| 2004 | 8,983 tonnes | +20.9% |
| 2005 | 9,167 tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 9,082 tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 14,023 tonnes | +54.4% |
| 2008 | 13,290 tonnes | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 13,442 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 14,896 tonnes | +10.8% |
| 2011 | 17,443 tonnes | +17.1% |
| 2012 | 23,466 tonnes | +34.5% |
| 2013 | 19,029 tonnes | -18.9% |
| 2014 | 22,937 tonnes | +20.5% |
| 2015 | 13,990 tonnes | -39.0% |
| 2016 | 13,313 tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 14,880 tonnes | +11.8% |
| 2018 | 16,446 tonnes | +10.5% |
| 2019 | 16,446 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 16,446 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 16,446 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 16,446 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 16,446 tonnes | +0.0% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 16,446 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,224 tonnes, 13.4× the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 16,446 tonnes is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1,984 tonnes, 8.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,688 tonnes | 1,634 tonnes | 4,239 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 8,864 tonnes | 3,650 tonnes | 14,023 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 17,285 tonnes | 13,313 tonnes | 23,466 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,446 tonnes | 16,446 tonnes | 16,446 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
More reference data data for Uruguay
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2999 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.87 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3685 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 6.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2195 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 33.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.01 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Uruguay?
- Pesticide use in Uruguay was 16,446 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 Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 23,466 tonnes in 2012.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,634 tonnes in 1993.
- How does Uruguay rank for pesticide use?
- Uruguay ranks 32nd out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Uruguay 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.