New Zealand vs South Africa: Nitrogen fertilizer use
New Zealand
369,000 tonnes
in 2023
South Africa
420,638 tonnes
in 2023
New Zealand rank
35th
South Africa rank
33rd
Nitrogen fertilizer use over time
- New Zealand
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 420,638 tonnes against 369,000 tonnes in New Zealand, a difference of 51,638 tonnes.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times New Zealand's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was South Africa ahead.
New Zealand ranks 35th and South Africa ranks 33rd of 202 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5,969 tonnes | 102,729 tonnes | 96,761 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1970s | 19,773 tonnes | 282,670 tonnes | 262,897 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1980s | 28,379 tonnes | 408,406 tonnes | 380,027 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1990s | 119,983 tonnes | 390,040 tonnes | 270,057 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2000s | 305,174 tonnes | 418,795 tonnes | 113,621 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2010s | 406,000 tonnes | 423,514 tonnes | 17,514 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 425,000 tonnes | 542,360 tonnes | 117,360 tonnes | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher nitrogen fertilizer use, New Zealand or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 420,638 tonnes against 369,000 tonnes in New Zealand as of 2023.
- What is the difference in nitrogen fertilizer use between New Zealand and South Africa?
- 51,638 tonnes, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and South Africa?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do New Zealand and South Africa rank globally for nitrogen fertilizer use?
- New Zealand ranks 35th and South Africa ranks 33rd of 202 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Nitrogen fertilizer use. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measures total nitrogen inputs, including synthetic fertilizers alongside organic inputs from manure and crop fixation. Measured in tonnes of nitrogen.