Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Zambia
Zambia: Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland was 60.45 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
60.45 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
up 35.0%
World rank
67th
of 201 countries
All-time high
60.45 kilograms per hectare
in 2023
All-time low
1.76 kilograms per hectare
in 1962
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Zambia, 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 Zambia stood at 60.45 kilograms per hectare. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 35.0% on the previous year and up 60.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Zambia peaked at 60.45 kilograms per hectare in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.76 kilograms per hectare, in 1962.
That places Zambia 67th out of 201 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 hectare of cropland in Zambia, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.06 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 1.76 kilograms per hectare | -14.6% |
| 1963 | 1.78 kilograms per hectare | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 2.3 kilograms per hectare | +29.2% |
| 1965 | 2.3 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 2.25 kilograms per hectare | -2.2% |
| 1967 | 2.42 kilograms per hectare | +7.6% |
| 1968 | 4.42 kilograms per hectare | +82.6% |
| 1969 | 3.33 kilograms per hectare | -24.7% |
| 1970 | 7.09 kilograms per hectare | +112.9% |
| 1971 | 11.3 kilograms per hectare | +59.4% |
| 1972 | 8.58 kilograms per hectare | -24.1% |
| 1973 | 8.21 kilograms per hectare | -4.3% |
| 1974 | 12.16 kilograms per hectare | +48.1% |
| 1975 | 11.47 kilograms per hectare | -5.7% |
| 1976 | 13.65 kilograms per hectare | +19.0% |
| 1977 | 15.96 kilograms per hectare | +16.9% |
| 1978 | 11.33 kilograms per hectare | -29.0% |
| 1979 | 16.45 kilograms per hectare | +45.2% |
| 1980 | 22.59 kilograms per hectare | +37.3% |
| 1981 | 23.97 kilograms per hectare | +6.1% |
| 1982 | 21.99 kilograms per hectare | -8.3% |
| 1983 | 17.21 kilograms per hectare | -21.7% |
| 1984 | 14.69 kilograms per hectare | -14.6% |
| 1985 | 20.29 kilograms per hectare | +38.1% |
| 1986 | 20.05 kilograms per hectare | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 22.55 kilograms per hectare | +12.5% |
| 1988 | 20.05 kilograms per hectare | -11.1% |
| 1989 | 17.8 kilograms per hectare | -11.2% |
| 1990 | 13.02 kilograms per hectare | -26.9% |
| 1991 | 14.44 kilograms per hectare | +10.9% |
| 1992 | 20.46 kilograms per hectare | +41.7% |
| 1993 | 20.66 kilograms per hectare | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 13.23 kilograms per hectare | -36.0% |
| 1995 | 11.85 kilograms per hectare | -10.4% |
| 1996 | 9.59 kilograms per hectare | -19.1% |
| 1997 | 11.35 kilograms per hectare | +18.4% |
| 1998 | 4.59 kilograms per hectare | -59.6% |
| 1999 | 3.7 kilograms per hectare | -19.4% |
| 2000 | 2.78 kilograms per hectare | -24.9% |
| 2001 | 4.72 kilograms per hectare | +69.8% |
| 2002 | 15.42 kilograms per hectare | +226.7% |
| 2003 | 14.72 kilograms per hectare | -4.5% |
| 2004 | 20.77 kilograms per hectare | +41.1% |
| 2005 | 18.7 kilograms per hectare | -10.0% |
| 2006 | 16.15 kilograms per hectare | -13.6% |
| 2007 | 18.68 kilograms per hectare | +15.7% |
| 2008 | 17.24 kilograms per hectare | -7.7% |
| 2009 | 17.89 kilograms per hectare | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 22.59 kilograms per hectare | +26.3% |
| 2011 | 32.04 kilograms per hectare | +41.8% |
| 2012 | 25.9 kilograms per hectare | -19.2% |
| 2013 | 37.66 kilograms per hectare | +45.4% |
| 2014 | 36.91 kilograms per hectare | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 44.26 kilograms per hectare | +19.9% |
| 2016 | 50.31 kilograms per hectare | +13.7% |
| 2017 | 54.88 kilograms per hectare | +9.1% |
| 2018 | 38.55 kilograms per hectare | -29.8% |
| 2019 | 43.67 kilograms per hectare | +13.3% |
| 2020 | 49.94 kilograms per hectare | +14.4% |
| 2021 | 46.53 kilograms per hectare | -6.8% |
| 2022 | 44.78 kilograms per hectare | -3.8% |
| 2023 | 60.45 kilograms per hectare | +35.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 60.45 kilograms per hectare is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 13.3 kilograms per hectare, 4.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 60.45 kilograms per hectare is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.68 kilograms per hectare, 10.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Zambia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +226.7% | 4.72 kilograms per hectare | 15.42 kilograms per hectare |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.51 kilograms per hectare | 1.76 kilograms per hectare | 4.42 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 11.62 kilograms per hectare | 7.09 kilograms per hectare | 16.45 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.12 kilograms per hectare | 14.69 kilograms per hectare | 23.97 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.29 kilograms per hectare | 3.7 kilograms per hectare | 20.66 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.71 kilograms per hectare | 2.78 kilograms per hectare | 20.77 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.68 kilograms per hectare | 22.59 kilograms per hectare | 54.88 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.42 kilograms per hectare | 44.78 kilograms per hectare | 60.45 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More agriculture & rural data for Zambia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 65.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0411 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 54.11 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5408 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Zambia?
- Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Zambia was 60.45 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 60.45 kilograms per hectare in 2023.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.76 kilograms per hectare in 1962.
- How does Zambia rank for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland?
- Zambia ranks 67th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 60.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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.