Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in China
China: Pesticide use per hectare of cropland was 1.71 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.71 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
98th
of 198 countries
All-time high
2.59 kilograms per hectare
in 2014
All-time low
1.09 kilograms per hectare
in 1991
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in China, 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
In 2023, pesticide use per hectare of cropland in China stood at 1.71 kilograms per hectare.
That represents a change of down 2.8% on the previous year and down 33.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use per hectare of cropland in China peaked at 2.59 kilograms per hectare in 2014 and was at its lowest, 1.09 kilograms per hectare, in 1991.
China ranks 98th of 198 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in China, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.1 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1991 | 1.09 kilograms per hectare | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 1.15 kilograms per hectare | +5.5% |
| 1993 | 1.23 kilograms per hectare | +7.0% |
| 1994 | 1.42 kilograms per hectare | +15.4% |
| 1995 | 1.58 kilograms per hectare | +11.3% |
| 1996 | 1.66 kilograms per hectare | +5.1% |
| 1997 | 1.74 kilograms per hectare | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 1.79 kilograms per hectare | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 1.92 kilograms per hectare | +7.3% |
| 2000 | 1.86 kilograms per hectare | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 1.84 kilograms per hectare | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 1.89 kilograms per hectare | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 1.9 kilograms per hectare | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.98 kilograms per hectare | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 2.07 kilograms per hectare | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 2.17 kilograms per hectare | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 2.28 kilograms per hectare | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 2.34 kilograms per hectare | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 2.38 kilograms per hectare | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 2.47 kilograms per hectare | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 2.52 kilograms per hectare | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 2.56 kilograms per hectare | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 2.58 kilograms per hectare | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 2.59 kilograms per hectare | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 2.57 kilograms per hectare | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 2.52 kilograms per hectare | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 2.42 kilograms per hectare | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 2.21 kilograms per hectare | -8.7% |
| 2019 | 2.05 kilograms per hectare | -7.2% |
| 2020 | 1.94 kilograms per hectare | -5.4% |
| 2021 | 1.83 kilograms per hectare | -5.7% |
| 2022 | 1.76 kilograms per hectare | -3.8% |
| 2023 | 1.71 kilograms per hectare | -2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.47 kilograms per hectare | 1.09 kilograms per hectare | 1.92 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.07 kilograms per hectare | 1.84 kilograms per hectare | 2.38 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.45 kilograms per hectare | 2.05 kilograms per hectare | 2.59 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.81 kilograms per hectare | 1.71 kilograms per hectare | 1.94 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use per hectare of cropland in China?
- Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in China was 1.71 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 2.59 kilograms per hectare in 2014.
- What is the lowest pesticide use per hectare of cropland recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.09 kilograms per hectare in 1991.
- How does China rank for pesticide use per hectare of cropland?
- China ranks 98th out of 198 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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.
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About this data
Average pesticide application per unit of cropland, measured in kilograms per hectare.