Fertilizer use per capita in China
China: Fertilizer use per capita was 6.19 Kilograms per capita in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Fertilizer use per capita in China, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Kilograms per capita.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertilizer use per capita in China is 6.19 Kilograms per capita, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per capita in China peaked at 8.28 Kilograms per capita in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.04 Kilograms per capita, in 1962.
That places China 25th out of 204 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0689 Kilograms per capita | 0.04 Kilograms per capita | 0.11 Kilograms per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.209 Kilograms per capita | 0.08 Kilograms per capita | 0.4 Kilograms per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.839 Kilograms per capita | 0.41 Kilograms per capita | 1.48 Kilograms per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.13 Kilograms per capita | 1.28 Kilograms per capita | 2.79 Kilograms per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.19 Kilograms per capita | 2.73 Kilograms per capita | 6.28 Kilograms per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.88 Kilograms per capita | 5.4 Kilograms per capita | 8.28 Kilograms per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.29 Kilograms per capita | 6.19 Kilograms per capita | 6.39 Kilograms per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.30 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 6.7% (2025)
- Rural population 473.41 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -1.5% (2025)
- Rural population 33.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 99.99 million hectares (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use per capita in China?
- Fertilizer use per capita in China was 6.19 Kilograms per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertilizer use per capita recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 8.28 Kilograms per capita in 2016.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.04 Kilograms per capita in 1962.
- How does China rank for fertilizer use per capita?
- China ranks 25th out of 204 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertilizer use per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Fertilizer use is the sum of synthetic inputs of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous, plus organic nitrogen inputs. This is given in kilograms per person per year.