Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Pesticide use per hectare of cropland was 17.36 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
17.36 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
17th
of 198 countries
All-time high
29.15 kilograms per hectare
in 2000
All-time low
2.81 kilograms per hectare
in 1991
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Costa Rica, 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
Costa Rica recorded 17.36 kilograms per hectare for pesticide use per hectare of cropland in 2023.
That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and down 22.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Costa Rica peaked at 29.15 kilograms per hectare in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.81 kilograms per hectare, in 1991.
That places Costa Rica 17th out of 198 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.84 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1991 | 2.81 kilograms per hectare | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 2.84 kilograms per hectare | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 2.89 kilograms per hectare | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 2.84 kilograms per hectare | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 2.95 kilograms per hectare | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 5.55 kilograms per hectare | +88.1% |
| 1997 | 8.38 kilograms per hectare | +51.0% |
| 1998 | 16.12 kilograms per hectare | +92.4% |
| 1999 | 22.18 kilograms per hectare | +37.6% |
| 2000 | 29.15 kilograms per hectare | +31.4% |
| 2001 | 21.84 kilograms per hectare | -25.1% |
| 2002 | 22.54 kilograms per hectare | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 22.77 kilograms per hectare | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 23.45 kilograms per hectare | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 24.62 kilograms per hectare | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 24.57 kilograms per hectare | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 25.49 kilograms per hectare | +3.7% |
| 2008 | 26.63 kilograms per hectare | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 23.22 kilograms per hectare | -12.8% |
| 2010 | 26.37 kilograms per hectare | +13.6% |
| 2011 | 23.42 kilograms per hectare | -11.2% |
| 2012 | 22.99 kilograms per hectare | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 22.39 kilograms per hectare | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 21.97 kilograms per hectare | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 21.97 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 21.79 kilograms per hectare | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 21.6 kilograms per hectare | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 19.29 kilograms per hectare | -10.7% |
| 2019 | 22.03 kilograms per hectare | +14.2% |
| 2020 | 21.76 kilograms per hectare | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 16.85 kilograms per hectare | -22.6% |
| 2022 | 16.77 kilograms per hectare | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 17.36 kilograms per hectare | +3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.94 kilograms per hectare | 2.81 kilograms per hectare | 22.18 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.43 kilograms per hectare | 21.84 kilograms per hectare | 29.15 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.38 kilograms per hectare | 19.29 kilograms per hectare | 26.37 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.19 kilograms per hectare | 16.77 kilograms per hectare | 21.76 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 14 Seychelles 19.48 kilograms per hectare compare
- 15 Grenada 18.46 kilograms per hectare compare
- 16 Hong Kong, China 18.33 kilograms per hectare compare
- 18 Israel 17.09 kilograms per hectare compare
- 19 Naoero 16.89 kilograms per hectare compare
- 20 Brunei Darussalam 16.69 kilograms per hectare compare
More agriculture & rural data for Costa Rica
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0337 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 672.15 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2027 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Costa Rica?
- Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Costa Rica was 17.36 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 29.15 kilograms per hectare in 2000.
- What is the lowest pesticide use per hectare of cropland recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.81 kilograms per hectare in 1991.
- How does Costa Rica rank for pesticide use per hectare of cropland?
- Costa Rica ranks 17th out of 198 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.