Fertilizer production by nutrient type in China
China: Fertilizer production by nutrient type was 2.05 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Fertilizer production by nutrient type in China, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertilizer production by nutrient type in China is 2.05 million tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 50.5% on the previous year and down 59.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer production by nutrient type in China peaked at 6.65 million tonnes in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1,000 tonnes, in 1963.
That places China 6th out of 196 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
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 | 2,125 tonnes | 1,000 tonnes | 4,000 tonnes | 8 |
| 1970s | 11,270 tonnes | 5,000 tonnes | 21,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 30,270 tonnes | 19,800 tonnes | 53,800 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 146,350 tonnes | 46,000 tonnes | 223,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.48 million tonnes | 275,000 tonnes | 3.63 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.43 million tonnes | 3.97 million tonnes | 6.65 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.72 million tonnes | 2.05 million tonnes | 4.62 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.30 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 6.7% (2025)
- Rural population 473.41 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -1.5% (2025)
- Rural population 33.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 99.99 million hectares (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer production by nutrient type in China?
- Fertilizer production by nutrient type in China was 2.05 million tonnes 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 production by nutrient type recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 6.65 million tonnes in 2016.
- What is the lowest fertilizer production by nutrient type recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,000 tonnes in 1963.
- How does China rank for fertilizer production by nutrient type?
- China ranks 6th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer production by nutrient type rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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 production by nutrient type. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 62 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total fertilizer production by nutrient type (nitrogen, phosphate and potash), measured in tonnes of nutrient.