Fertilizer consumption in Low & middle income
Low & middle income: Fertilizer consumption was 118.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Fertilizer consumption in Low & middle income, 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 % of fertilizer production.
Analysis
Low & middle income recorded 118.2% for fertilizer consumption in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer consumption in Low & middle income peaked at 210.2% in 1968 and was at its lowest, 109.3%, in 2015.
Low & middle income ranks 18th of 46 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Fertilizer consumption in Low & middle income, year by year
| Year | % of fertilizer production | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 181.8% | — |
| 1962 | 167.8% | -7.7% |
| 1963 | 172.7% | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 167.5% | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 161.4% | -3.6% |
| 1966 | 166.9% | +3.4% |
| 1967 | 178.3% | +6.8% |
| 1968 | 210.2% | +17.9% |
| 1969 | 191.1% | -9.1% |
| 1970 | 186.8% | -2.2% |
| 1971 | 170.2% | -8.9% |
| 1972 | 165.6% | -2.7% |
| 1973 | 166.0% | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 154.1% | -7.2% |
| 1975 | 157.5% | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 152.9% | -2.9% |
| 1977 | 154.5% | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 152.0% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 147.0% | -3.3% |
| 1980 | 143.2% | -2.6% |
| 1981 | 136.4% | -4.7% |
| 1982 | 134.9% | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 132.4% | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 133.8% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 127.1% | -5.0% |
| 1986 | 125.5% | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 125.3% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 126.4% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 125.5% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 128.1% | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 130.6% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 118.0% | -9.6% |
| 1993 | 114.6% | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 118.5% | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 117.3% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 117.1% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 120.8% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 119.3% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 118.4% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 116.8% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 116.3% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 119.8% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 117.1% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 118.9% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 118.5% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 122.1% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 120.9% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 118.6% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 119.5% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 114.5% | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 117.0% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 114.7% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 119.5% | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 115.5% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 109.3% | -5.4% |
| 2016 | 116.4% | +6.5% |
| 2017 | 118.3% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 120.1% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 116.7% | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 122.8% | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 119.5% | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 115.8% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 118.2% | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 177.5% | 161.4% | 210.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 160.7% | 147.0% | 186.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 131.0% | 125.3% | 143.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 120.3% | 114.6% | 130.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 118.9% | 116.3% | 122.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 116.2% | 109.3% | 120.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 119.1% | 115.8% | 122.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Low & middle income
More agriculture & rural data for Low & middle income
- Rural population, per capita 0.4688 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 9.1% (2025)
- Rural population 3.18 billion (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Rural population 46.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 555.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0909 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer consumption in Low & middle income?
- Fertilizer consumption in Low & middle income was 118.2% 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 Low & middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 210.2% in 1968.
- What is the lowest fertilizer consumption recorded in Low & middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 109.3% in 2015.
- How does Low & middle income rank for fertilizer consumption?
- Low & middle income ranks 18th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer consumption rising or falling in Low & middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Low & middle income 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 (% of fertilizer production). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Fertilizer consumption measures the quantity of plant nutrients and is calculated as production plus imports minus exports. Fertilizer products cover nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers (including ground rock phosphate). Traditional nutrients--animal and plant manures--are not included. Because some chemical compounds used for fertilizers have other industrial applications, the consumption data may overstate the quantity available for crops. Fertilizer consumption as a share of production shows the agriculture sector's vulnerability to import and energy price fluctuation. Most fertilizers that are commonly used in agriculture contain the three basic plant nutrients-nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Some fertilizers also contain certain micronutrients such as zinc and other metals that are necessary for plant growth. Materials that are applied to the land primarily to enhance soil characteristics (rather than as plant food) are commonly referred to as soil amendments.