Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland was 1.91 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
1.91 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
up 43.6%
World rank
182nd
of 201 countries
All-time high
1.91 kilograms per hectare
in 2023
All-time low
0.01 kilograms per hectare
in 1961
Years of data
61
1961–2023
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Democratic Republic of Congo, 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 Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 1.91 kilograms per hectare. That is the highest value across all 61 years on record.
That represents a change of up 43.6% on the previous year and up 253.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 1.91 kilograms per hectare in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.01 kilograms per hectare, in 1961.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 182nd out of 201 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.01 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 0.09 kilograms per hectare | +800.0% |
| 1963 | 0.1 kilograms per hectare | +11.1% |
| 1964 | 0.14 kilograms per hectare | +40.0% |
| 1965 | 0.1 kilograms per hectare | -28.6% |
| 1966 | 0.14 kilograms per hectare | +40.0% |
| 1967 | 0.21 kilograms per hectare | +50.0% |
| 1968 | 0.28 kilograms per hectare | +33.3% |
| 1969 | 0.35 kilograms per hectare | +25.0% |
| 1970 | 0.41 kilograms per hectare | +17.1% |
| 1971 | 0.38 kilograms per hectare | -7.3% |
| 1972 | 0.34 kilograms per hectare | -10.5% |
| 1973 | 0.43 kilograms per hectare | +26.5% |
| 1974 | 0.42 kilograms per hectare | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 0.67 kilograms per hectare | +59.5% |
| 1976 | 0.82 kilograms per hectare | +22.4% |
| 1977 | 0.6 kilograms per hectare | -26.8% |
| 1978 | 0.62 kilograms per hectare | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 0.68 kilograms per hectare | +9.7% |
| 1980 | 0.49 kilograms per hectare | -27.9% |
| 1981 | 0.33 kilograms per hectare | -32.7% |
| 1982 | 0.41 kilograms per hectare | +24.2% |
| 1983 | 0.53 kilograms per hectare | +29.3% |
| 1984 | 0.58 kilograms per hectare | +9.4% |
| 1985 | 0.46 kilograms per hectare | -20.7% |
| 1986 | 0.12 kilograms per hectare | -73.9% |
| 1987 | 0.39 kilograms per hectare | +225.0% |
| 1988 | 0.24 kilograms per hectare | -38.5% |
| 1989 | 0.51 kilograms per hectare | +112.5% |
| 1990 | 0.51 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.51 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.13 kilograms per hectare | -74.5% |
| 1993 | 0.38 kilograms per hectare | +192.3% |
| 1994 | 0.44 kilograms per hectare | +15.8% |
| 1995 | 0.39 kilograms per hectare | -11.4% |
| 1996 | 0.26 kilograms per hectare | -33.3% |
| 1998 | 0.23 kilograms per hectare | -11.5% |
| 1999 | 0.04 kilograms per hectare | -82.6% |
| 2000 | 0.04 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.17 kilograms per hectare | +325.0% |
| 2003 | 0.14 kilograms per hectare | -17.6% |
| 2004 | 0.11 kilograms per hectare | -21.4% |
| 2005 | 0.05 kilograms per hectare | -54.5% |
| 2006 | 0.22 kilograms per hectare | +340.0% |
| 2007 | 0.4 kilograms per hectare | +81.8% |
| 2008 | 0.58 kilograms per hectare | +45.0% |
| 2009 | 0.34 kilograms per hectare | -41.4% |
| 2010 | 0.46 kilograms per hectare | +35.3% |
| 2011 | 0.31 kilograms per hectare | -32.6% |
| 2012 | 0.27 kilograms per hectare | -12.9% |
| 2013 | 0.54 kilograms per hectare | +100.0% |
| 2014 | 1.08 kilograms per hectare | +100.0% |
| 2015 | 1.28 kilograms per hectare | +18.5% |
| 2016 | 0.78 kilograms per hectare | -39.1% |
| 2017 | 1.06 kilograms per hectare | +35.9% |
| 2018 | 1.28 kilograms per hectare | +20.8% |
| 2019 | 1.75 kilograms per hectare | +36.7% |
| 2020 | 1.51 kilograms per hectare | -13.7% |
| 2021 | 1.51 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.33 kilograms per hectare | -11.9% |
| 2023 | 1.91 kilograms per hectare | +43.6% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 1.91 kilograms per hectare is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.29 kilograms per hectare, 45% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 1.91 kilograms per hectare is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.68 kilograms per hectare, 34% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Democratic Republic of Congo changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +800.0% | 0.01 kilograms per hectare | 0.09 kilograms per hectare |
| 2006 | +340.0% | 0.05 kilograms per hectare | 0.22 kilograms per hectare |
| 2001 | +325.0% | 0.04 kilograms per hectare | 0.17 kilograms per hectare |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1578 kilograms per hectare | 0.01 kilograms per hectare | 0.35 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.537 kilograms per hectare | 0.34 kilograms per hectare | 0.82 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.406 kilograms per hectare | 0.12 kilograms per hectare | 0.58 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3211 kilograms per hectare | 0.04 kilograms per hectare | 0.51 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 2000s | 0.2278 kilograms per hectare | 0.04 kilograms per hectare | 0.58 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.881 kilograms per hectare | 0.27 kilograms per hectare | 1.75 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.56 kilograms per hectare | 1.33 kilograms per hectare | 1.91 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More agriculture & rural data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0893 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 72.04 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5489 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Democratic Republic of Congo was 1.91 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 1.91 kilograms per hectare in 2023.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.01 kilograms per hectare in 1961.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 182nd out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 253.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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 — 61 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.