Pesticides (total) — Use per capita in Australia
Australia: Pesticides (total) — Use per capita was 2.41 kg/cap in 2017. ▲ Rising
Pesticides (total) — Use per capita in Australia, 1990–2017
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/cap.
Analysis
The most recent figure for pesticides (total) — use per capita in Australia is 2.41 kg/cap, measured in 2017.
The figure is down 7.7% on the previous year and up 55.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pesticides (total) — use per capita in Australia peaked at 2.61 kg/cap in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1.03 kg/cap, in 1991.
That places Australia 12th out of 192 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Pesticides (total) — Use per capita in Australia, year by year
| Year | kg/cap | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.04 kg/cap | — |
| 1991 | 1.03 kg/cap | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 1.27 kg/cap | +23.3% |
| 1993 | 1.35 kg/cap | +6.3% |
| 1994 | 1.18 kg/cap | -12.6% |
| 1995 | 1.41 kg/cap | +19.5% |
| 1996 | 1.7 kg/cap | +20.6% |
| 1997 | 1.84 kg/cap | +8.2% |
| 1998 | 1.99 kg/cap | +8.2% |
| 1999 | 1.81 kg/cap | -9.0% |
| 2000 | 1.75 kg/cap | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 1.69 kg/cap | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 1.36 kg/cap | -19.5% |
| 2003 | 1.64 kg/cap | +20.6% |
| 2004 | 1.81 kg/cap | +10.4% |
| 2005 | 1.69 kg/cap | -6.6% |
| 2006 | 1.74 kg/cap | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 1.55 kg/cap | -10.9% |
| 2008 | 2.01 kg/cap | +29.7% |
| 2009 | 1.75 kg/cap | -12.9% |
| 2010 | 1.9 kg/cap | +8.6% |
| 2011 | 2.12 kg/cap | +11.6% |
| 2012 | 2.13 kg/cap | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 1.94 kg/cap | -8.9% |
| 2014 | 2.11 kg/cap | +8.8% |
| 2015 | 2.13 kg/cap | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 2.61 kg/cap | +22.5% |
| 2017 | 2.41 kg/cap | -7.7% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 2.41 kg/cap is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.57 kg/cap, 4.2× the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Australia's 2.41 kg/cap is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.29 kg/cap, 8.3× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.46 kg/cap | 1.03 kg/cap | 1.99 kg/cap | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.7 kg/cap | 1.36 kg/cap | 2.01 kg/cap | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.17 kg/cap | 1.9 kg/cap | 2.61 kg/cap | 8 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 9 Panama 2.62 kg/cap compare
- 10 Antigua and Barbuda 2.61 kg/cap compare
- 10 Micronesia (Federated States of) 0.11 kg/cap compare
- 10 Timor-Leste 0.11 kg/cap compare
- 11 Canada 2.57 kg/cap compare
- 12 Syrian Arab Republic 0.08 kg/cap compare
- 13 Australia and New Zealand 2.2 kg/cap compare
- 14 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 0.06 kg/cap compare
- 14 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2.17 kg/cap compare
- 15 Costa Rica 2.09 kg/cap compare
- 15 Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.02 kg/cap compare
- 15 Lao People's Democratic Republic 0.02 kg/cap 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) — use per capita in Australia?
- Pesticides (total) — use per capita in Australia was 2.41 kg/cap in 2017, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest pesticides (total) — use per capita recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.61 kg/cap in 2016.
- What is the lowest pesticides (total) — use per capita recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.03 kg/cap in 1991.
- How does Australia rank for pesticides (total) — use per capita?
- Australia ranks 12th out of 192 countries with data for 2017.
- Is pesticides (total) — use per capita rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 55.5%. 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) — Use per capita. 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).