Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Australia
Australia: Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland was 61.68 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Australia, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per hectare.
Analysis
In 2023, fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Australia stood at 61.68 kilograms per hectare. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 12.8% on the previous year and up 77.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Australia peaked at 61.68 kilograms per hectare in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.17 kilograms per hectare, in 1961.
Australia ranks 65th of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 | 4.16 kilograms per hectare | 2.17 kilograms per hectare | 6.01 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 10.06 kilograms per hectare | 5.94 kilograms per hectare | 12.77 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.18 kilograms per hectare | 11.84 kilograms per hectare | 22.38 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.44 kilograms per hectare | 23.08 kilograms per hectare | 41.86 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.7 kilograms per hectare | 27.8 kilograms per hectare | 37.95 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.42 kilograms per hectare | 30.83 kilograms per hectare | 43.67 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.85 kilograms per hectare | 52.43 kilograms per hectare | 61.68 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More agriculture & rural data for Australia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 40.76 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.3% (2025)
- Rural population 3.39 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.6% (2025)
- Rural population 12.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.3% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.3% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 19.46 million hectares (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Australia?
- Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Australia was 61.68 kilograms per hectare 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 hectare of cropland recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 61.68 kilograms per hectare in 2023.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.17 kilograms per hectare in 1961.
- How does Australia rank for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland?
- Australia ranks 65th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 77.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia 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 hectare of cropland. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Use of fertilizers per area of cropland, which corresponds to the sum of arable land and permanent crops.