EU, pesticide use keeps declining. Italy leads the way

Brussels – In 2023, some 292,000 tons of pesticides were sold in the EU, the lowest level since the start of the data collection series in 2011, marking a 9 per cent (pct.) decrease from 2022 and an 18 pct. decrease from 2021.

Regarding the types of pesticides sold in the EU, the top categories in 2023 were “fungicides and bactericides” (39 pct. of sales volume), “herbicides, haulm destructors, and moss killers” (36 pct.) and “insecticides and acaricides” (17 pct.).

This is what the data on pesticide sales published by Eurostat shows.

In 2023, France (23 pct.), Spain (18 pct.), Germany, and Italy (both with 14 pct.) accounted for the highest shares of pesticide sales volume in the EU, and are also the largest agricultural producers in the Union.

Between 2011 and 2023, there were sharp contrasts in pesticide sales trends within the EU. In the 21 countries for which data are available, there were declines in sales volumes in 16 countries, with the four strongest declines observed in Portugal and Italy (both -44 pct.), followed by Ireland and Slovenia (both -38 pct.). In contrast, higher sales volumes were recorded in five EU countries, with the most marked increases observed in Latvia (+55 pct.), Austria (+52 pct.) and Lithuania (+11 pct.).