Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Australia
Australia: Pesticide use per hectare of cropland was 5.81 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Australia, 1990–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per hectare.
Analysis
Australia recorded 5.81 kilograms per hectare for pesticide use per hectare of cropland in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 13.7% on the previous year and up 306.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Australia peaked at 5.81 kilograms per hectare in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.03 kilograms per hectare, in 1991.
That places Australia 56th out of 198 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Australia, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.04 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1991 | 1.03 kilograms per hectare | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 1.36 kilograms per hectare | +32.0% |
| 1993 | 1.38 kilograms per hectare | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 1.17 kilograms per hectare | -15.2% |
| 1995 | 1.5 kilograms per hectare | +28.2% |
| 1996 | 1.61 kilograms per hectare | +7.3% |
| 1997 | 1.61 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.72 kilograms per hectare | +6.8% |
| 1999 | 1.47 kilograms per hectare | -14.5% |
| 2000 | 1.41 kilograms per hectare | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 1.33 kilograms per hectare | -5.7% |
| 2002 | 1.11 kilograms per hectare | -16.5% |
| 2003 | 1.38 kilograms per hectare | +24.3% |
| 2004 | 1.39 kilograms per hectare | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 1.28 kilograms per hectare | -7.9% |
| 2006 | 1.46 kilograms per hectare | +14.1% |
| 2007 | 1.38 kilograms per hectare | -5.5% |
| 2008 | 1.76 kilograms per hectare | +27.5% |
| 2009 | 1.38 kilograms per hectare | -21.6% |
| 2010 | 1.62 kilograms per hectare | +17.4% |
| 2011 | 1.48 kilograms per hectare | -8.6% |
| 2012 | 1.52 kilograms per hectare | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 1.43 kilograms per hectare | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 1.54 kilograms per hectare | +7.7% |
| 2015 | 1.62 kilograms per hectare | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 2.09 kilograms per hectare | +29.0% |
| 2017 | 1.92 kilograms per hectare | -8.1% |
| 2018 | 2.56 kilograms per hectare | +33.3% |
| 2019 | 3.25 kilograms per hectare | +27.0% |
| 2020 | 3.9 kilograms per hectare | +20.0% |
| 2021 | 4.47 kilograms per hectare | +14.6% |
| 2022 | 5.11 kilograms per hectare | +14.3% |
| 2023 | 5.81 kilograms per hectare | +13.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.39 kilograms per hectare | 1.03 kilograms per hectare | 1.72 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.39 kilograms per hectare | 1.11 kilograms per hectare | 1.76 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9 kilograms per hectare | 1.43 kilograms per hectare | 3.25 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.82 kilograms per hectare | 3.9 kilograms per hectare | 5.81 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More agriculture & rural data for Australia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0227 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,476 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.5855 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1228 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Australia?
- Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Australia was 5.81 kilograms per hectare 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 per hectare of cropland recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.81 kilograms per hectare in 2023.
- What is the lowest pesticide use per hectare of cropland recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.03 kilograms per hectare in 1991.
- How does Australia rank for pesticide use per hectare of cropland?
- Australia ranks 56th out of 198 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 306.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia 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 per hectare of cropland. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average pesticide application per unit of cropland, measured in kilograms per hectare.