Fertilizer consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Fertilizer consumption was 19.59 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
19.59 kilograms per hectare of arable land
Change on year
up 8.4%
Rank
41st
of 47 groups
All-time high
23.05 kilograms per hectare of arable land
in 2020
All-time low
3.7 kilograms per hectare of arable land
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in kilograms per hectare of arable land.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 19.59 kilograms per hectare of arable land for fertilizer consumption in 2023.
The figure is up 8.4% on the previous year and up 38.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 23.05 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.7 kilograms per hectare of arable land, in 1961.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 41st of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Fertilizer consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare of arable land | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.7 kilograms per hectare of arable land | — |
| 1962 | 4.18 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +13.1% |
| 1963 | 4.76 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +14.0% |
| 1964 | 5.04 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +5.9% |
| 1965 | 5.44 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +7.8% |
| 1966 | 6.06 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +11.5% |
| 1967 | 6.74 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +11.1% |
| 1968 | 6.92 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +2.6% |
| 1969 | 7.2 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +4.1% |
| 1970 | 8.22 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +14.2% |
| 1971 | 9.32 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +13.4% |
| 1972 | 10.12 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +8.5% |
| 1973 | 10.33 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 10.94 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +6.0% |
| 1975 | 11.37 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +3.9% |
| 1976 | 12.03 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +5.8% |
| 1977 | 12.86 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +6.9% |
| 1978 | 12.96 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 14.22 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +9.7% |
| 1980 | 15.61 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +9.8% |
| 1981 | 17.8 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +14.0% |
| 1982 | 16.81 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -5.5% |
| 1983 | 15.33 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -8.8% |
| 1984 | 15.1 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 14.33 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -5.1% |
| 1986 | 13.74 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -4.1% |
| 1987 | 12.91 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -6.1% |
| 1988 | 14.38 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +11.4% |
| 1989 | 14.11 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 14.01 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 13.97 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 13.61 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -2.6% |
| 1993 | 14.21 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +4.5% |
| 1994 | 12.65 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -11.0% |
| 1995 | 11.6 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -8.4% |
| 1996 | 12.74 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +9.9% |
| 1997 | 12.73 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 12.32 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 12.4 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 11.85 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 11.83 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 13.19 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +11.5% |
| 2003 | 11.75 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 12 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 11.19 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -6.8% |
| 2006 | 13.51 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +20.7% |
| 2007 | 12.27 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -9.2% |
| 2008 | 12.51 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 12.13 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 14.49 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +19.4% |
| 2011 | 13.44 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -7.3% |
| 2012 | 13.89 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 14.19 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 14.66 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 14.62 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 16.55 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +13.2% |
| 2017 | 19.77 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +19.5% |
| 2018 | 18.48 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -6.5% |
| 2019 | 20.02 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +8.3% |
| 2020 | 23.05 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +15.1% |
| 2021 | 20.69 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -10.2% |
| 2022 | 18.08 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -12.6% |
| 2023 | 19.59 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +8.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.56 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 3.7 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 7.2 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 9 |
| 1970s | 11.24 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 8.22 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 14.22 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.01 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 12.91 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 17.8 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.02 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 11.6 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 14.21 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.22 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 11.19 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 13.51 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.01 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 13.44 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 20.02 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.35 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 18.08 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 23.05 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 38 Philippines 199.45 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 39 India 199.14 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 40 Belarus 198.94 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 41 Guatemala 196.65 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 42 Belgium 191.66 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 43 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 191.44 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 44 Lebanon 190.09 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 395.96 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 17.9% (2025)
- Rural population 731.42 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Fertilizer consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa was 19.59 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest fertilizer consumption recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 23.05 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2020.
- What is the lowest fertilizer consumption recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 1961.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for fertilizer consumption?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer consumption rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Fertilizer consumption (kilograms per hectare of arable land). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Fertilizer consumption measures the quantity of plant nutrients used per unit of arable land. Fertilizer products cover nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers (including ground rock phosphate). Traditional nutrients--animal and plant manures--are not included. For the purpose of data dissemination, FAO has adopted the concept of a calendar year (January to December). Some countries compile fertilizer data on a calendar year basis, while others are on a split-year basis. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded.