Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Ireland
Ireland: Pesticide use per hectare of cropland was 5.16 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
5.16 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
down 15.1%
World rank
58th
of 198 countries
All-time high
8.02 kilograms per hectare
in 2011
All-time low
3.88 kilograms per hectare
in 1996
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Ireland, 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 Ireland stood at 5.16 kilograms per hectare.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.1% on the previous year and down 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Ireland peaked at 8.02 kilograms per hectare in 2011 and was at its lowest, 3.88 kilograms per hectare, in 1996.
That places Ireland 58th out of 198 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 Ireland, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5.07 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1991 | 5.1 kilograms per hectare | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 5.09 kilograms per hectare | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 4.95 kilograms per hectare | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 4.99 kilograms per hectare | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 5.39 kilograms per hectare | +8.0% |
| 1996 | 3.88 kilograms per hectare | -28.0% |
| 1997 | 5.14 kilograms per hectare | +32.5% |
| 1998 | 5.03 kilograms per hectare | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 4.11 kilograms per hectare | -18.3% |
| 2000 | 3.96 kilograms per hectare | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 4.57 kilograms per hectare | +15.4% |
| 2002 | 5.03 kilograms per hectare | +10.1% |
| 2003 | 5.1 kilograms per hectare | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 5.69 kilograms per hectare | +11.6% |
| 2005 | 5.34 kilograms per hectare | -6.2% |
| 2006 | 5.89 kilograms per hectare | +10.3% |
| 2007 | 6.58 kilograms per hectare | +11.7% |
| 2008 | 5.71 kilograms per hectare | -13.2% |
| 2009 | 4.87 kilograms per hectare | -14.7% |
| 2010 | 5.74 kilograms per hectare | +17.9% |
| 2011 | 8.02 kilograms per hectare | +39.7% |
| 2012 | 5.75 kilograms per hectare | -28.3% |
| 2013 | 6.13 kilograms per hectare | +6.6% |
| 2014 | 7.19 kilograms per hectare | +17.3% |
| 2015 | 7.72 kilograms per hectare | +7.4% |
| 2016 | 6.74 kilograms per hectare | -12.7% |
| 2017 | 6.37 kilograms per hectare | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 5.87 kilograms per hectare | -7.8% |
| 2019 | 6.69 kilograms per hectare | +14.0% |
| 2020 | 6.54 kilograms per hectare | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 7.07 kilograms per hectare | +8.1% |
| 2022 | 6.08 kilograms per hectare | -14.0% |
| 2023 | 5.16 kilograms per hectare | -15.1% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 5.16 kilograms per hectare is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.17 kilograms per hectare, 1.2× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 5.16 kilograms per hectare is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.48 kilograms per hectare, 3.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.88 kilograms per hectare | 3.88 kilograms per hectare | 5.39 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.27 kilograms per hectare | 3.96 kilograms per hectare | 6.58 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.62 kilograms per hectare | 5.74 kilograms per hectare | 8.02 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.21 kilograms per hectare | 5.16 kilograms per hectare | 7.07 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More agriculture & rural data for Ireland
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate -0.388 % 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 0.0796 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate -1.23 % 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 0.7634 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 22.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0106 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,391 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.9559 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Ireland?
- Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Ireland was 5.16 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 8.02 kilograms per hectare in 2011.
- What is the lowest pesticide use per hectare of cropland recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.88 kilograms per hectare in 1996.
- How does Ireland rank for pesticide use per hectare of cropland?
- Ireland ranks 58th out of 198 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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 — 34 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.