Pesticides (total) — Agricultural Use in Australia
Australia: Pesticides (total) — Agricultural Use was 59,634 t in 2017. ▲ Rising
Pesticides (total) — Agricultural Use in Australia, 1990–2017
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
In 2017, pesticides (total) — agricultural use in Australia stood at 59,634 t.
The figure is down 6.0% on the previous year and up 83.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticides (total) — agricultural use in Australia peaked at 63,416 t in 2016 and was at its lowest, 17,867 t, in 1990.
Australia ranks 13th of 200 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Pesticides (total) — Agricultural Use in Australia, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 17,867 t | — |
| 1991 | 17,867 t | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 22,235 t | +24.4% |
| 1993 | 23,899 t | +7.5% |
| 1994 | 21,057 t | -11.9% |
| 1995 | 25,598 t | +21.6% |
| 1996 | 31,185 t | +21.8% |
| 1997 | 34,092 t | +9.3% |
| 1998 | 37,215 t | +9.2% |
| 1999 | 34,200 t | -8.1% |
| 2000 | 33,475 t | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 32,710 t | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 26,650 t | -18.5% |
| 2003 | 32,418 t | +21.6% |
| 2004 | 36,277 t | +11.9% |
| 2005 | 34,310 t | -5.4% |
| 2006 | 35,901 t | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 32,446 t | -9.6% |
| 2008 | 42,935 t | +32.3% |
| 2009 | 38,066 t | -11.3% |
| 2010 | 42,169 t | +10.8% |
| 2011 | 47,633 t | +13.0% |
| 2012 | 48,688 t | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 45,177 t | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 49,857 t | +10.4% |
| 2015 | 50,922 t | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 63,416 t | +24.5% |
| 2017 | 59,634 t | -6.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 59,634 t is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,463 t, 40.8× the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Australia's 59,634 t is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 900.5 t, 66.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26,522 t | 17,867 t | 37,215 t | 10 |
| 2000s | 34,519 t | 26,650 t | 42,935 t | 10 |
| 2010s | 50,937 t | 42,169 t | 63,416 t | 8 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 10 Mexico 65,586 t compare
- 10 Syrian Arab Republic 1,897 t compare
- 11 Australia and New Zealand 64,921 t compare
- 11 Melanesia 1,875 t compare
- 12 Spain 59,858 t compare
- 12 Polynesia 701 t compare
- 13 Lao People's Democratic Republic 187 t compare
- 14 Ghana 53,798 t compare
- 14 Timor-Leste 160 t compare
- 15 Germany 45,174 t compare
- 15 Micronesia (Federated States of) 12 t compare
- 16 Nigeria 44,230 t compare
- 16 Wallis and Futuna Islands 10 t compare
More environment data for Australia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.75 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.345 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6708 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.0861 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticides (total) — agricultural use in Australia?
- Pesticides (total) — agricultural use in Australia was 59,634 t in 2017, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest pesticides (total) — agricultural use recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 63,416 t in 2016.
- What is the lowest pesticides (total) — agricultural use recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,867 t in 1990.
- How does Australia rank for pesticides (total) — agricultural use?
- Australia ranks 13th out of 200 countries with data for 2017.
- Is pesticides (total) — agricultural use rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 83.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Pesticides (total) — Agricultural Use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The FAOSTAT Pesticides Use domain contains statistics on the agricultural use of major pesticide groups and of relevant chemical families. Data are disseminated by country, with global coverage and are updated annually. The FAOSTAT Pesticides Use domain contains information on the use of major pesticide groups:1. Insecticides (Chlorinated hydrocarbons, Organo-phosphates, Carbamates-insecticides, Pyrethroids, Botanical and biological products and Others not elsewhere classified);2. Mineral Oils;3. Herbicides (Phenoxy hormone products, Triazines, Amides, Carbamates-herbicides, Dinitroanilines, Urea derivatives, Sulfonyl urea, Bipiridils, Uracil, Others not elsewhere classified);4. Fungicides and Bactericides (Inorganic, Dithiocarbamates, Benzimidazoles, Triazoles, Diazoles, Diazines, Morpholines, Others not elsewhere classified);5. Plant Growth Regulators;6. Rodenticides (Anti-coagulants, Cyanide Generators, Hypercalcaemics, Narcotics, Others not elsewhere classified);7. Other Pesticides NES (not elsewhere specified).