Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Belgium
Belgium: Pesticide use per hectare of cropland was 5.42 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ▼ Falling
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Belgium, 2000–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per hectare.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 5.42 kilograms per hectare for pesticide use per hectare of cropland in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.4% on the previous year and down 28.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Belgium peaked at 11.31 kilograms per hectare in 2005 and was at its lowest, 5.42 kilograms per hectare, in 2023.
Belgium ranks 57th of 198 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Belgium, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10.83 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 2001 | 9.85 kilograms per hectare | -9.0% |
| 2002 | 10.79 kilograms per hectare | +9.5% |
| 2003 | 10.3 kilograms per hectare | -4.5% |
| 2004 | 10.67 kilograms per hectare | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 11.31 kilograms per hectare | +6.0% |
| 2006 | 9.55 kilograms per hectare | -15.6% |
| 2007 | 7.81 kilograms per hectare | -18.2% |
| 2008 | 7.53 kilograms per hectare | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 6.38 kilograms per hectare | -15.3% |
| 2010 | 5.43 kilograms per hectare | -14.9% |
| 2011 | 7.44 kilograms per hectare | +37.0% |
| 2012 | 7.86 kilograms per hectare | +5.6% |
| 2013 | 7.56 kilograms per hectare | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 8.55 kilograms per hectare | +13.1% |
| 2015 | 7.61 kilograms per hectare | -11.0% |
| 2016 | 7.53 kilograms per hectare | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 7.3 kilograms per hectare | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 7.28 kilograms per hectare | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 6.75 kilograms per hectare | -7.3% |
| 2020 | 6.39 kilograms per hectare | -5.3% |
| 2021 | 6.6 kilograms per hectare | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 5.85 kilograms per hectare | -11.4% |
| 2023 | 5.42 kilograms per hectare | -7.4% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 5.42 kilograms per hectare is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.17 kilograms per hectare, 1.3× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 5.42 kilograms per hectare is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.48 kilograms per hectare, 3.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.5 kilograms per hectare | 6.38 kilograms per hectare | 11.31 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.33 kilograms per hectare | 5.43 kilograms per hectare | 8.55 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.06 kilograms per hectare | 5.42 kilograms per hectare | 6.6 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More agriculture & rural data for Belgium
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.3957 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.0755 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.3957 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.0755 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -0.3325 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0073 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 443.58 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2138 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Belgium?
- Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Belgium was 5.42 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 Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 11.31 kilograms per hectare in 2005.
- What is the lowest pesticide use per hectare of cropland recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.42 kilograms per hectare in 2023.
- How does Belgium rank for pesticide use per hectare of cropland?
- Belgium ranks 57th out of 198 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium 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
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average pesticide application per unit of cropland, measured in kilograms per hectare.