Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand
New Zealand: Pesticide use per hectare of cropland was 8.93 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
8.93 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
35th
of 198 countries
All-time high
11.6 kilograms per hectare
in 2008
All-time low
5.62 kilograms per hectare
in 1999
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand stood at 8.93 kilograms per hectare.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand peaked at 11.6 kilograms per hectare in 2008 and was at its lowest, 5.62 kilograms per hectare, in 1999.
That places New Zealand 35th out of 198 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8.76 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1991 | 8.72 kilograms per hectare | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 8.66 kilograms per hectare | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 8.6 kilograms per hectare | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 8.04 kilograms per hectare | -6.5% |
| 1995 | 8.87 kilograms per hectare | +10.3% |
| 1996 | 7.9 kilograms per hectare | -10.9% |
| 1997 | 7.97 kilograms per hectare | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 6.81 kilograms per hectare | -14.6% |
| 1999 | 5.62 kilograms per hectare | -17.5% |
| 2000 | 8.01 kilograms per hectare | +42.5% |
| 2001 | 7.3 kilograms per hectare | -8.9% |
| 2002 | 9.51 kilograms per hectare | +30.3% |
| 2003 | 8.7 kilograms per hectare | -8.5% |
| 2004 | 8.8 kilograms per hectare | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 8.72 kilograms per hectare | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 9.93 kilograms per hectare | +13.9% |
| 2007 | 10.28 kilograms per hectare | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 11.6 kilograms per hectare | +12.8% |
| 2009 | 9.75 kilograms per hectare | -15.9% |
| 2010 | 9.27 kilograms per hectare | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 9.75 kilograms per hectare | +5.2% |
| 2012 | 9.11 kilograms per hectare | -6.6% |
| 2013 | 8.55 kilograms per hectare | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 8.04 kilograms per hectare | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 9.7 kilograms per hectare | +20.6% |
| 2016 | 8.69 kilograms per hectare | -10.4% |
| 2017 | 9.47 kilograms per hectare | +9.0% |
| 2018 | 8.97 kilograms per hectare | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 8.52 kilograms per hectare | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 8.79 kilograms per hectare | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 7.66 kilograms per hectare | -12.9% |
| 2022 | 8.74 kilograms per hectare | +14.1% |
| 2023 | 8.93 kilograms per hectare | +2.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 8.93 kilograms per hectare is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.17 kilograms per hectare, 2.1× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 8.93 kilograms per hectare is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.29 kilograms per hectare, 2.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8 kilograms per hectare | 5.62 kilograms per hectare | 8.87 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.26 kilograms per hectare | 7.3 kilograms per hectare | 11.6 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.01 kilograms per hectare | 8.04 kilograms per hectare | 9.75 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.53 kilograms per hectare | 7.66 kilograms per hectare | 8.93 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More agriculture & rural data for New Zealand
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -10.07 % change on previous year (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,976 current US$ per person (2023)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.275 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.0% (2023)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand?
- Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand was 8.93 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 11.6 kilograms per hectare in 2008.
- What is the lowest pesticide use per hectare of cropland recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.62 kilograms per hectare in 1999.
- How does New Zealand rank for pesticide use per hectare of cropland?
- New Zealand ranks 35th out of 198 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.