Fertilizer consumption in United States of America
United States of America: Fertilizer consumption was 100.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Fertilizer consumption in United States of America, 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
The most recent figure for fertilizer consumption in United States of America is 100.8%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer consumption in United States of America peaked at 135.4% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 73.0%, in 1991.
That places United States of America 62nd out of 106 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Fertilizer consumption in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % of fertilizer production | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 92.0% | — |
| 1962 | 93.6% | +1.8% |
| 1963 | 92.3% | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 92.1% | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 90.5% | -1.7% |
| 1966 | 93.2% | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 94.6% | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 97.6% | +3.1% |
| 1969 | 97.6% | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 96.4% | -1.2% |
| 1971 | 98.1% | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 96.4% | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 96.5% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 96.6% | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 97.9% | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 102.2% | +4.4% |
| 1977 | 101.2% | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 94.6% | -6.5% |
| 1979 | 92.4% | -2.4% |
| 1980 | 91.1% | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 104.9% | +15.2% |
| 1982 | 97.4% | -7.2% |
| 1983 | 94.6% | -2.9% |
| 1984 | 88.4% | -6.5% |
| 1985 | 101.7% | +15.0% |
| 1986 | 81.9% | -19.5% |
| 1987 | 77.5% | -5.4% |
| 1988 | 75.8% | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 79.2% | +4.4% |
| 1990 | 76.8% | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 73.0% | -5.0% |
| 1992 | 73.8% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 78.1% | +5.8% |
| 1994 | 75.9% | -2.8% |
| 1995 | 77.3% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 74.9% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 83.5% | +11.4% |
| 1998 | 84.9% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 95.4% | +12.4% |
| 2000 | 106.2% | +11.3% |
| 2001 | 102.8% | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 108.7% | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 130.3% | +19.9% |
| 2004 | 120.4% | -7.7% |
| 2005 | 118.5% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 128.1% | +8.2% |
| 2007 | 117.5% | -8.3% |
| 2008 | 108.4% | -7.8% |
| 2009 | 135.4% | +24.9% |
| 2010 | 128.7% | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 131.1% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 133.6% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 127.2% | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 121.2% | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 123.1% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 117.3% | -4.7% |
| 2017 | 110.4% | -5.9% |
| 2018 | 109.3% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 104.7% | -4.2% |
| 2020 | 106.6% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 110.0% | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 100.8% | -8.4% |
| 2023 | 100.8% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 93.7% | 90.5% | 97.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 97.2% | 92.4% | 102.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 89.2% | 75.8% | 104.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 79.4% | 73.0% | 95.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 117.6% | 102.8% | 135.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 120.7% | 104.7% | 133.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 104.5% | 100.8% | 110.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
More agriculture & rural data for United States of America
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.96 % change on previous year (2021)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0094 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 673.66 current US$ per person (2021)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.1831 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1981 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.9% (2021)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.9% (2021)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer consumption in United States of America?
- Fertilizer consumption in United States of America was 100.8% 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 United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 135.4% in 2009.
- What is the lowest fertilizer consumption recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 73.0% in 1991.
- How does United States of America rank for fertilizer consumption?
- United States of America ranks 62nd out of 106 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer consumption rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States of America 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.