Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Spain
Spain: Pesticide use per hectare of cropland was 3.19 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ▲ Rising
Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Spain, 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
The most recent figure for pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Spain is 3.19 kilograms per hectare, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.1% on the previous year and down 23.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Spain peaked at 4.59 kilograms per hectare in 2014 and was at its lowest, 1.49 kilograms per hectare, in 1995.
That places Spain 80th 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 Spain, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.96 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1991 | 1.95 kilograms per hectare | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 1.6 kilograms per hectare | -17.9% |
| 1993 | 1.5 kilograms per hectare | -6.3% |
| 1994 | 1.6 kilograms per hectare | +6.7% |
| 1995 | 1.49 kilograms per hectare | -6.9% |
| 1996 | 1.74 kilograms per hectare | +16.8% |
| 1997 | 1.79 kilograms per hectare | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 1.89 kilograms per hectare | +5.6% |
| 1999 | 1.83 kilograms per hectare | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 1.89 kilograms per hectare | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 1.98 kilograms per hectare | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 2.28 kilograms per hectare | +15.2% |
| 2003 | 2.31 kilograms per hectare | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 2.64 kilograms per hectare | +14.3% |
| 2005 | 2.3 kilograms per hectare | -12.9% |
| 2006 | 2.26 kilograms per hectare | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 2.26 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2.36 kilograms per hectare | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 2.04 kilograms per hectare | -13.6% |
| 2010 | 2.27 kilograms per hectare | +11.3% |
| 2011 | 4.3 kilograms per hectare | +89.4% |
| 2012 | 3.62 kilograms per hectare | -15.8% |
| 2013 | 4.17 kilograms per hectare | +15.2% |
| 2014 | 4.59 kilograms per hectare | +10.1% |
| 2015 | 4.49 kilograms per hectare | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 4.52 kilograms per hectare | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 4.24 kilograms per hectare | -6.2% |
| 2018 | 4.36 kilograms per hectare | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 4.49 kilograms per hectare | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 4.55 kilograms per hectare | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 4.59 kilograms per hectare | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 3.36 kilograms per hectare | -26.8% |
| 2023 | 3.19 kilograms per hectare | -5.1% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 3.19 kilograms per hectare is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.17 kilograms per hectare, 76% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Spain's 3.19 kilograms per hectare is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.48 kilograms per hectare, 2.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Spain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +89.4% | 2.27 kilograms per hectare | 4.3 kilograms per hectare |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.74 kilograms per hectare | 1.49 kilograms per hectare | 1.96 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.23 kilograms per hectare | 1.89 kilograms per hectare | 2.64 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.1 kilograms per hectare | 2.27 kilograms per hectare | 4.59 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.92 kilograms per hectare | 3.19 kilograms per hectare | 4.59 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 77 South Africa 3.39 kilograms per hectare compare
- 78 Philippines 3.36 kilograms per hectare compare
- 79 Moldova 3.27 kilograms per hectare compare
- 81 El Salvador 3.16 kilograms per hectare compare
- 82 Slovenia 2.98 kilograms per hectare compare
- 83 Egypt 2.87 kilograms per hectare compare
More agriculture & rural data for Spain
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate -0.0816 % 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 0.3372 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.3681 % 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 0.5425 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0268 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,036 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0113 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Spain?
- Pesticide use per hectare of cropland in Spain was 3.19 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 4.59 kilograms per hectare in 2014.
- What is the lowest pesticide use per hectare of cropland recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.49 kilograms per hectare in 1995.
- How does Spain rank for pesticide use per hectare of cropland?
- Spain ranks 80th out of 198 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pesticide use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain 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.