Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in United States
United States: Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland was 59.08 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ▲ Rising
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in United States, 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 United States stood at 59.08 kilograms per hectare.
That represents a change of down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in United States peaked at 62.14 kilograms per hectare in 2012 and was at its lowest, 12.96 kilograms per hectare, in 1961.
United States ranks 70th of 200 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.08 kilograms per hectare | 12.96 kilograms per hectare | 27.71 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 36.06 kilograms per hectare | 30.14 kilograms per hectare | 42.56 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 41.21 kilograms per hectare | 37.24 kilograms per hectare | 44.75 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 47.47 kilograms per hectare | 43.35 kilograms per hectare | 50.43 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.36 kilograms per hectare | 48.09 kilograms per hectare | 57.43 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.67 kilograms per hectare | 57.75 kilograms per hectare | 62.14 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.77 kilograms per hectare | 59.08 kilograms per hectare | 60.76 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More agriculture & rural data for United States
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 223.72 billion current US$ (2021)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 0.9% (2021)
- Rural population 67.70 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.2% (2025)
- Rural population 19.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.6% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.9% (2021)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.9% (2021)
- Land under cereal production 54.08 million hectares (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in United States?
- Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in United States was 59.08 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 62.14 kilograms per hectare in 2012.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.96 kilograms per hectare in 1961.
- How does United States rank for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland?
- United States ranks 70th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.
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About this data
Use of fertilizers per area of cropland, which corresponds to the sum of arable land and permanent crops.