Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland was 46.45 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
46.45 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
down 7.6%
World rank
90th
of 201 countries
All-time high
100.88 kilograms per hectare
in 2020
All-time low
19.25 kilograms per hectare
in 1963
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Sri Lanka, 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
The most recent figure for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Sri Lanka is 46.45 kilograms per hectare, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 7.6% on the previous year and down 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Sri Lanka peaked at 100.88 kilograms per hectare in 2020 and was at its lowest, 19.25 kilograms per hectare, in 1963.
Sri Lanka ranks 90th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 23.69 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 29.87 kilograms per hectare | +26.1% |
| 1963 | 19.25 kilograms per hectare | -35.6% |
| 1964 | 20.54 kilograms per hectare | +6.7% |
| 1965 | 22.64 kilograms per hectare | +10.2% |
| 1966 | 24 kilograms per hectare | +6.0% |
| 1967 | 23.18 kilograms per hectare | -3.4% |
| 1968 | 29.66 kilograms per hectare | +28.0% |
| 1969 | 25.94 kilograms per hectare | -12.5% |
| 1970 | 26.93 kilograms per hectare | +3.8% |
| 1971 | 30 kilograms per hectare | +11.4% |
| 1972 | 26.86 kilograms per hectare | -10.5% |
| 1973 | 29.71 kilograms per hectare | +10.6% |
| 1974 | 28.83 kilograms per hectare | -3.0% |
| 1975 | 20.89 kilograms per hectare | -27.5% |
| 1976 | 26.72 kilograms per hectare | +27.9% |
| 1977 | 32.8 kilograms per hectare | +22.8% |
| 1978 | 39.85 kilograms per hectare | +21.5% |
| 1979 | 40.21 kilograms per hectare | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 47.96 kilograms per hectare | +19.3% |
| 1981 | 41.1 kilograms per hectare | -14.3% |
| 1982 | 42.76 kilograms per hectare | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 44.41 kilograms per hectare | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 53.59 kilograms per hectare | +20.7% |
| 1985 | 54.23 kilograms per hectare | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 52.6 kilograms per hectare | -3.0% |
| 1987 | 54.83 kilograms per hectare | +4.2% |
| 1988 | 55.85 kilograms per hectare | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 57.09 kilograms per hectare | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 48.63 kilograms per hectare | -14.8% |
| 1991 | 50.35 kilograms per hectare | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 53.65 kilograms per hectare | +6.6% |
| 1993 | 61.2 kilograms per hectare | +14.1% |
| 1994 | 65.75 kilograms per hectare | +7.4% |
| 1995 | 61.47 kilograms per hectare | -6.5% |
| 1996 | 62.3 kilograms per hectare | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 64.88 kilograms per hectare | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 75.29 kilograms per hectare | +16.0% |
| 1999 | 85.98 kilograms per hectare | +14.2% |
| 2000 | 82.45 kilograms per hectare | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 82.91 kilograms per hectare | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 98.29 kilograms per hectare | +18.6% |
| 2003 | 77.42 kilograms per hectare | -21.2% |
| 2004 | 88.31 kilograms per hectare | +14.1% |
| 2005 | 88.46 kilograms per hectare | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 88.06 kilograms per hectare | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 83.2 kilograms per hectare | -5.5% |
| 2008 | 97.05 kilograms per hectare | +16.6% |
| 2009 | 83.76 kilograms per hectare | -13.7% |
| 2010 | 76.19 kilograms per hectare | -9.0% |
| 2011 | 91.43 kilograms per hectare | +20.0% |
| 2012 | 71.42 kilograms per hectare | -21.9% |
| 2013 | 55.54 kilograms per hectare | -22.2% |
| 2014 | 99.06 kilograms per hectare | +78.4% |
| 2015 | 65.24 kilograms per hectare | -34.1% |
| 2016 | 50.99 kilograms per hectare | -21.8% |
| 2017 | 47.29 kilograms per hectare | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 29.02 kilograms per hectare | -38.6% |
| 2019 | 60.59 kilograms per hectare | +108.8% |
| 2020 | 100.88 kilograms per hectare | +66.5% |
| 2021 | 50.27 kilograms per hectare | -50.2% |
| 2022 | 50.27 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 46.45 kilograms per hectare | -7.6% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 46.45 kilograms per hectare is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 37.03 kilograms per hectare, 1.3× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 46.45 kilograms per hectare is below the median for South Asia, which is 47.51 kilograms per hectare, 98% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Sri Lanka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +108.8% | 29.02 kilograms per hectare | 60.59 kilograms per hectare |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 24.31 kilograms per hectare | 19.25 kilograms per hectare | 29.87 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 30.28 kilograms per hectare | 20.89 kilograms per hectare | 40.21 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.44 kilograms per hectare | 41.1 kilograms per hectare | 57.09 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 62.95 kilograms per hectare | 48.63 kilograms per hectare | 85.98 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 86.99 kilograms per hectare | 77.42 kilograms per hectare | 98.29 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.68 kilograms per hectare | 29.02 kilograms per hectare | 99.06 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.97 kilograms per hectare | 46.45 kilograms per hectare | 100.88 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0836 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 418.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9172 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7955 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Sri Lanka?
- Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Sri Lanka was 46.45 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 100.88 kilograms per hectare in 2020.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.25 kilograms per hectare in 1963.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland?
- Sri Lanka ranks 90th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.