Pesticide use in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Pesticide use was 16 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Pesticide use in Vanuatu, 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 Vanuatu is 16 tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use in Vanuatu peaked at 172 tonnes in 1990 and was at its lowest, 16 tonnes, in 2012.
Vanuatu ranks 190th of 211 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Pesticide use in Vanuatu, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 172 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 138 tonnes | -19.8% |
| 1992 | 101 tonnes | -26.8% |
| 1993 | 78 tonnes | -22.8% |
| 1994 | 84 tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1995 | 89 tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1996 | 78 tonnes | -12.4% |
| 1997 | 72 tonnes | -7.7% |
| 1998 | 69 tonnes | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 66 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 65 tonnes | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 64 tonnes | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 65 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 66 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 67 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 68 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 73 tonnes | +7.4% |
| 2007 | 79 tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2008 | 86 tonnes | +8.9% |
| 2009 | 71 tonnes | -17.4% |
| 2010 | 48 tonnes | -32.4% |
| 2011 | 24 tonnes | -50.0% |
| 2012 | 16 tonnes | -33.3% |
| 2013 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 16 tonnes | +0.0% |
Vanuatu compared with similar countries
- Vanuatu's 16 tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,280 tonnes, 1% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Vanuatu's 16 tonnes is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 287 tonnes, 6% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Pesticide use in Vanuatu changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | -50.0% | 48 tonnes | 24 tonnes |
| 2012 | -33.3% | 24 tonnes | 16 tonnes |
| 2010 | -32.4% | 71 tonnes | 48 tonnes |
| 1992 | -26.8% | 138 tonnes | 101 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 94.7 tonnes | 66 tonnes | 172 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.4 tonnes | 64 tonnes | 86 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 20 tonnes | 16 tonnes | 48 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 16 tonnes | 16 tonnes | 16 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
- 187 Sao Tome and Principe 19 tonnes compare
- 188 Bahrain 18 tonnes compare
- 189 British Virgin Islands 17 tonnes compare
- 190 Andorra 16 tonnes compare
- 192 Cook Islands 15 tonnes compare
- 192 Montserrat 15 tonnes compare
More reference data data for Vanuatu
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0174 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0819 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0994 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0001 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0994 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0583 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0658 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4612 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.5857 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0003 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use in Vanuatu?
- Pesticide use in Vanuatu was 16 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 Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 172 tonnes in 1990.
- What is the lowest pesticide use recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 16 tonnes in 2012.
- How does Vanuatu rank for pesticide use?
- Vanuatu ranks 190th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Vanuatu 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.