Global Top 100 Ranking of Pesticide Importing Countries

According to the recently released FAO report “Pesticide Use and Trade 1990–2023”, the total global agricultural pesticide usage reached 3.73 million tons (in terms of active ingredient) in 2023, showing a slight decrease of 2% compared to 2022. Since 1990, pesticide use has doubled, with a cumulative increase of 14% over the past decade. In terms of application intensity, the global average pesticide use per unit of arable land stood at 2.40 kg/ha in 2023.

Regarding international trade, the total global pesticide imports declined by 3% in 2023, dropping to approximately 6.7 million tons in terms of goods volume.

❖ In 2023, the total pesticide imports of the top 100 countries/regions reached 6.465 million tons, accounting for 96.4% of global pesticide imports.

❖ Brazil ranked first globally, importing 588,533 tons of various pesticides.

❖ Countries with pesticide imports exceeding 200,000 tons included: Brazil, France, Canada, Australia, the United States, and Vietnam.

❖ Countries with imports between 100,000 and 200,000 tons included: Germany, Mexico, Thailand, Spain, India, Italy, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, Nigeria, the Netherlands, Russia, and Poland.

Regional analysis revealed:

❖ The Americas became the largest pesticide-importing region globally, with imports reaching 1.97 million tons.

❖ Asia maintained its position as the largest pesticide-exporting region, with an annual export volume of 2.4 million tons and an export value of US$11.4 billion.

❖ Over 80% of pesticides in Africa relied on imports from outside the region, while its export products primarily supplied the regional market.

The full list of the top 100 pesticide-importing countries in 2023 is provided for reference.