Global Consumer Pesticides

Report Overview

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Demand for consumer pesticides is projected to increase 3.3% per year to $7.7 billion in 2025. Gains will be supported by:

• rising personal incomes and greater availability of a range of consumer products in developing markets, particularly in Central and South America, the Asia/Pacific region, and the Africa/Mideast region
• the continuing uptake of higher-value products in the US

US Consumer Pesticide Market Will Remain Dominant

The US is by far the largest market for consumer pesticides, and is expected to remain so going forward; despite being a mature, well-developed market, its large size means that it will still account for one-third of total growth in the global consumer pesticide market through 2025. The country’s significant emphasis on well-manicured lawns and gardens and US consumers’ general willingness to pay more for products that are easy to use will support continued demand for consumer pesticides. However, gains in the US lawn and garden segment are expected to slow somewhat from a high 2020 base as gardening surged in popularity during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health & Hygiene Concerns to Drive Household Pesticide Demand

In most markets, particularly in lower income countries, concerns about insects and other pests as disease vectors will be a major driver of demand for household pesticides. As standards of living improve around the world and a greater range of pesticides becomes more readily available, consumer demand for household insecticides and other pesticides is expected to rise. Changes to the global climate will also increase insect populations in many regions, further supporting demand. However, in many low-income areas, these products will still face significant competition from non-chemical alternatives such as mosquito nets and rodent traps.

Environmental Regulations, Consumer Concerns Will Shape Lawn & Garden Segment

Lawn and garden pesticides will be increasingly regulated to mitigate impacts on the environment, particularly with regard to water quality, soil quality, and impacts on non-target species such as beneficial pollinators. Additionally, consumers are becoming increasingly wary of excessive pesticide use, and in more eco-conscious countries, consumers are more circumspect about their use of nonessential pesticides. These factors will support demand for higher value formulations that contain safer active ingredients, but will also restrain growth in volume terms. Bayer’s decision to reformulate US consumer Roundup products to exclude glyphosate was based on litigation risks related to these consumer concerns, and other leading suppliers will likely follow suit in offering a greater range of pesticides that exclude active ingredients that are concerning to consumers.

Demand by Product

Global demand for consumer pesticides is expected to increase 3.3% per year to $7.7 billion in 2025. Insecticides will continue to represent the majority of demand, accounting for 68% of sales in the consumer market in 2025:

• Insecticides tend to be the most expensive pesticides used in the home and garden market.
• Insecticide use is less often viewed as elective; a homeowner who tolerates weeds due to monetary or time limitations is less likely to tolerate household insect infestations or to risk contracting an insect-borne disease.
• Consumer herbicide and fungicide use is primarily limited to lawn and garden applications; there are no household herbicide applications, and indoor mold issues are more commonly solved with bleach, cleaning chemicals, or other products not included here.

Demand by Region

The consumer market – also called the home and garden market – includes pesticides that are sold to for use inside and outside of homes and other residential buildings. Products include household insect sprays and repellants, rodenticides, and lawn and garden weed and pest control formulations.

Because consumer products tend to contain much lower active ingredient concentrations than products for professional users, the consumer market represents the smallest share of pesticide demand in volume terms. However, consumers – particularly in the very large US market – tend to be more willing to pay extra for formulations that are easy and convenient to use, which significantly boosts the consumer market’s value at the formulated level.

Demand for consumer pesticides is forecast to grow 3.3% per year to $7.7 billion in 2025:

• Value gains will result from the introduction of improved, higher value formulations that cater to the growing do-it-yourself (DIY) lawn and garden care market.
• In the US and – to a lesser extent – Canada and Western Europe, the continued popularity of gardening as a hobby will support demand, despite the overall maturity of these pesticide markets.
• Increasing personal incomes and greater leisure time for middle-class families in Central and South America, Eastern Europe, and the Asia/Pacific region will also promote demand for lawn and garden consumer pesticides.