Pesticides (total) — Use per area of cropland in South Africa
South Africa: Pesticides (total) — Use per area of cropland was 3.28 kg/ha in 2024. ▲ Rising
Pesticides (total) — Use per area of cropland in South Africa, 1990–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/ha.
Analysis
The most recent figure for pesticides (total) — use per area of cropland in South Africa is 3.28 kg/ha, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 3.2% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticides (total) — use per area of cropland in South Africa peaked at 3.43 kg/ha in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.2 kg/ha, in 1994.
South Africa ranks 75th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Pesticides (total) — Use per area of cropland in South Africa, year by year
| Year | kg/ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.27 kg/ha | — |
| 1991 | 1.26 kg/ha | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 1.23 kg/ha | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 1.21 kg/ha | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 1.2 kg/ha | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 1.3 kg/ha | +8.3% |
| 1996 | 1.39 kg/ha | +6.9% |
| 1997 | 1.54 kg/ha | +10.8% |
| 1998 | 1.73 kg/ha | +12.3% |
| 1999 | 1.85 kg/ha | +6.9% |
| 2000 | 1.89 kg/ha | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 1.83 kg/ha | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 1.93 kg/ha | +5.5% |
| 2003 | 1.95 kg/ha | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 2.05 kg/ha | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 2.19 kg/ha | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 2.22 kg/ha | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 2.27 kg/ha | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 2.51 kg/ha | +10.6% |
| 2009 | 2.5 kg/ha | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 2.59 kg/ha | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 2.68 kg/ha | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 2.77 kg/ha | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 2.93 kg/ha | +5.8% |
| 2014 | 3.09 kg/ha | +5.5% |
| 2015 | 3.04 kg/ha | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 2.89 kg/ha | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 3.18 kg/ha | +10.0% |
| 2018 | 3.14 kg/ha | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 3.15 kg/ha | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 3.35 kg/ha | +6.3% |
| 2021 | 3.43 kg/ha | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 3.4 kg/ha | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 3.39 kg/ha | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 3.28 kg/ha | -3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.4 kg/ha | 1.2 kg/ha | 1.85 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.13 kg/ha | 1.83 kg/ha | 2.51 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.95 kg/ha | 2.59 kg/ha | 3.18 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.37 kg/ha | 3.28 kg/ha | 3.43 kg/ha | 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)
- Sawnwood — Export quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export quantity, per capita 0.0085 m3 per person (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, annual growth rate -0.695 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, per capita 0.0009 1000 USD per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pesticides (total) — use per area of cropland in South Africa?
- Pesticides (total) — use per area of cropland in South Africa was 3.28 kg/ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest pesticides (total) — use per area of cropland recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 3.43 kg/ha in 2021.
- What is the lowest pesticides (total) — use per area of cropland recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2 kg/ha in 1994.
- How does South Africa rank for pesticides (total) — use per area of cropland?
- South Africa ranks 75th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is pesticides (total) — use per area of cropland rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. 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) — Use per area of cropland. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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).