Fertilizer use per capita in India
India: Fertilizer use per capita was 1.31 Kilograms per capita in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
1.31 Kilograms per capita
Change on year
up 9.2%
World rank
88th
of 205 countries
All-time high
2.97 Kilograms per capita
in 2009
All-time low
0.06 Kilograms per capita
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer use per capita in India, 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
In 2023, fertilizer use per capita in India stood at 1.31 Kilograms per capita.
That represents a change of up 9.2% on the previous year and down 19.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per capita in India peaked at 2.97 Kilograms per capita in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.06 Kilograms per capita, in 1961.
That places India 88th out of 205 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fertilizer use per capita in India, year by year
| Year | Kilograms per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.06 Kilograms per capita | — |
| 1962 | 0.08 Kilograms per capita | +33.3% |
| 1963 | 0.11 Kilograms per capita | +37.5% |
| 1964 | 0.14 Kilograms per capita | +27.3% |
| 1965 | 0.16 Kilograms per capita | +14.3% |
| 1966 | 0.23 Kilograms per capita | +43.8% |
| 1967 | 0.33 Kilograms per capita | +43.5% |
| 1968 | 0.33 Kilograms per capita | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.39 Kilograms per capita | +18.2% |
| 1970 | 0.43 Kilograms per capita | +10.3% |
| 1971 | 0.54 Kilograms per capita | +25.6% |
| 1972 | 0.61 Kilograms per capita | +13.0% |
| 1973 | 0.62 Kilograms per capita | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 0.56 Kilograms per capita | -9.7% |
| 1975 | 0.46 Kilograms per capita | -17.9% |
| 1976 | 0.51 Kilograms per capita | +10.9% |
| 1977 | 0.79 Kilograms per capita | +54.9% |
| 1978 | 0.9 Kilograms per capita | +13.9% |
| 1979 | 0.9 Kilograms per capita | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.91 Kilograms per capita | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 0.96 Kilograms per capita | +5.5% |
| 1982 | 0.86 Kilograms per capita | -10.4% |
| 1983 | 0.85 Kilograms per capita | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 1.12 Kilograms per capita | +31.8% |
| 1985 | 1.11 Kilograms per capita | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 1.1 Kilograms per capita | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 1.09 Kilograms per capita | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 1.24 Kilograms per capita | +13.8% |
| 1989 | 1.38 Kilograms per capita | +11.3% |
| 1990 | 1.54 Kilograms per capita | +11.6% |
| 1991 | 1.54 Kilograms per capita | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.98 Kilograms per capita | -36.4% |
| 1993 | 1.02 Kilograms per capita | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 1.2 Kilograms per capita | +17.6% |
| 1995 | 1.2 Kilograms per capita | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.06 Kilograms per capita | -11.7% |
| 1997 | 1.37 Kilograms per capita | +29.2% |
| 1998 | 1.31 Kilograms per capita | -4.4% |
| 1999 | 1.61 Kilograms per capita | +22.9% |
| 2000 | 1.48 Kilograms per capita | -8.1% |
| 2001 | 1.55 Kilograms per capita | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 1.46 Kilograms per capita | -5.8% |
| 2003 | 1.43 Kilograms per capita | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 1.81 Kilograms per capita | +26.6% |
| 2005 | 2.09 Kilograms per capita | +15.5% |
| 2006 | 1.99 Kilograms per capita | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 2.21 Kilograms per capita | +11.1% |
| 2008 | 2.74 Kilograms per capita | +24.0% |
| 2009 | 2.97 Kilograms per capita | +8.4% |
| 2010 | 2.79 Kilograms per capita | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 2.06 Kilograms per capita | -26.2% |
| 2012 | 1.61 Kilograms per capita | -21.8% |
| 2013 | 1.62 Kilograms per capita | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 1.93 Kilograms per capita | +19.1% |
| 2015 | 1.81 Kilograms per capita | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 1.87 Kilograms per capita | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 2.04 Kilograms per capita | +9.1% |
| 2018 | 2.02 Kilograms per capita | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 1.9 Kilograms per capita | -5.9% |
| 2020 | 2.25 Kilograms per capita | +18.4% |
| 2021 | 1.79 Kilograms per capita | -20.4% |
| 2022 | 1.2 Kilograms per capita | -33.0% |
| 2023 | 1.31 Kilograms per capita | +9.2% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1.31 Kilograms per capita is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.38 Kilograms per capita, 3.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 1.31 Kilograms per capita is above the median for South Asia, which is 0.765 Kilograms per capita, 1.7× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.2033 Kilograms per capita | 0.06 Kilograms per capita | 0.39 Kilograms per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.632 Kilograms per capita | 0.43 Kilograms per capita | 0.9 Kilograms per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.06 Kilograms per capita | 0.85 Kilograms per capita | 1.38 Kilograms per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.28 Kilograms per capita | 0.98 Kilograms per capita | 1.61 Kilograms per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.97 Kilograms per capita | 1.43 Kilograms per capita | 2.97 Kilograms per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.96 Kilograms per capita | 1.61 Kilograms per capita | 2.79 Kilograms per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.64 Kilograms per capita | 1.2 Kilograms per capita | 2.25 Kilograms per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
More agriculture & rural data for India
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -2.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 438.73 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4067 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6431 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use per capita in India?
- Fertilizer use per capita in India was 1.31 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 2.97 Kilograms per capita in 2009.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per capita recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.06 Kilograms per capita in 1961.
- How does India rank for fertilizer use per capita?
- India ranks 88th out of 205 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per capita rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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.
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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.