Between 402 million and 433 million farmers and farmworkers worldwide experience acute pesticide poisoning every year, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Public Health. With an estimated global farming population of about 934 million, researchers calculate that roughly 46% of farmers are affected annually. The study also estimates around 11,000 deaths each year after accounting for widespread underreporting.

The findings come as global pesticide use continues to rise rather than fall. Annual consumption reached approximately 3.8 million tonnes in 2023, nearly double the level recorded in 1990, despite more than two decades of international efforts to reduce the health risks associated with pesticide exposure.

Southern Asia and Africa Carry the Heaviest Burden

The highest estimated rates were recorded across Southern Asia, Southeast Asia and East Africa. Burkina Faso had the highest national rate identified in the study, with nearly 84% of farmers estimated to experience poisoning each year.

The scale varies considerably between regions, but the researchers point out that the available evidence is uneven. Limited healthcare access, weak reporting systems and a lack of clinical training can prevent poisoning cases from being recognised or recorded, meaning official figures may capture only part of the problem.

Susan Haffmans of Pesticide Action Network Germany said those working in fields should not have to accept illness from substances used to produce food. Sheila Willis of Pesticide Action Network UK also pointed to limited healthcare access and inadequate clinical training as major reasons poisoning remains underreported.

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Europe Shows the Impact of Tighter Regulation

Europe stands apart from other major regions, with pesticide consumption declining since 1990.

• The researchers associate this trend with stricter regulatory measures, which have also kept estimated annual fatalities comparatively low, ranging from two deaths in Western Europe to around 60 in Eastern Europe.

Non-fatal exposure remains a significant concern, however.

• Southern Europe has an estimated poisoning rate of 32%, representing more than 1.5 million cases annually, while Western and Eastern Europe have rates of around 6%.
• The researchers caution that Eastern Europe’s figures are particularly uncertain because the available data in the analysis is represented only by Hungary.

The limitation highlights a broader problem with measuring pesticide poisoning worldwide: countries do not consistently identify, report or monitor exposure in the same way.

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Researchers Call for Better Monitoring and Safer Alternatives

The study used World Health Organization data on unintentional, acute pesticide poisoning (UAPP). The researchers identified 369,632 reported annual cases among farmers, including 9,182 deaths, before adjusting the figures to account for underreporting. That adjustment produced the much higher global estimate of 402-433 million cases and approximately 11,000 deaths.

Researchers and pesticide safety organisations are calling for action at international, national and research levels. Priorities include stronger monitoring systems, better training for healthcare professionals and implementation of the United Nations target to phase out highly hazardous pesticides by 2035.

The study ultimately points to two connected problems: the continued scale of pesticide exposure and the difficulty of measuring it accurately. Better data would make the health burden harder to overlook, while access to safer agricultural alternatives could reduce exposure at its source.

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