Pesticides (total) — Agricultural Use in South Africa
South Africa: Pesticides (total) — Agricultural Use was 40,752 t in 2024. ▲ Rising
Pesticides (total) — Agricultural Use in South Africa, 1990–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
The most recent figure for pesticides (total) — agricultural use in South Africa is 40,752 t, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticides (total) — agricultural use in South Africa peaked at 42,620 t in 2021 and was at its lowest, 16,582 t, in 1990.
South Africa ranks 18th of 200 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Pesticides (total) — Agricultural Use in South Africa, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 16,582 t | — |
| 1991 | 16,582 t | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 16,582 t | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 16,582 t | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 16,582 t | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 18,025 t | +8.7% |
| 1996 | 19,508 t | +8.2% |
| 1997 | 21,596 t | +10.7% |
| 1998 | 24,304 t | +12.5% |
| 1999 | 26,099 t | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 26,857 t | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 25,800 t | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 27,247 t | +5.6% |
| 2003 | 27,370 t | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 27,992 t | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 29,697 t | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 28,718 t | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 29,468 t | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 33,073 t | +12.2% |
| 2009 | 32,609 t | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 33,599 t | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 33,334 t | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 34,395 t | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 36,324 t | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 38,387 t | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 37,740 t | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 35,862 t | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 39,492 t | +10.1% |
| 2018 | 39,024 t | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 39,144 t | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 41,643 t | +6.4% |
| 2021 | 42,620 t | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 42,244 t | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 42,041 t | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 40,752 t | -3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19,244 t | 16,582 t | 26,099 t | 10 |
| 2000s | 28,883 t | 25,800 t | 33,073 t | 10 |
| 2010s | 36,730 t | 33,334 t | 39,492 t | 10 |
| 2020s | 41,860 t | 40,752 t | 42,620 t | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More environment data for South Africa
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per capita 0.0126 1000 USD per person (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, annual growth rate 42.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, per capita 0.0047 t per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticides (total) — agricultural use in South Africa?
- Pesticides (total) — agricultural use in South Africa was 40,752 t in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest pesticides (total) — agricultural use recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 42,620 t in 2021.
- What is the lowest pesticides (total) — agricultural use recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 16,582 t in 1990.
- How does South Africa rank for pesticides (total) — agricultural use?
- South Africa ranks 18th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is pesticides (total) — agricultural use rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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).