Fertilizer consumption in New Zealand
New Zealand: Fertilizer consumption was 52,291 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
52,291 tonnes
Change on year
down 18.2%
World rank
101st
of 201 countries
All-time high
70,503 tonnes
in 2018
All-time low
15,708 tonnes
in 1962
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer consumption in New Zealand, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 52,291 tonnes for fertilizer consumption in 2023.
That represents a change of down 18.2% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer consumption in New Zealand peaked at 70,503 tonnes in 2018 and was at its lowest, 15,708 tonnes, in 1962.
That places New Zealand 101st out of 201 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Fertilizer consumption in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 17,685 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 15,708 tonnes | -11.2% |
| 1963 | 19,212 tonnes | +22.3% |
| 1964 | 25,647 tonnes | +33.5% |
| 1965 | 26,435 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 23,572 tonnes | -10.8% |
| 1967 | 19,951 tonnes | -15.4% |
| 1968 | 23,398 tonnes | +17.3% |
| 1969 | 25,399 tonnes | +8.6% |
| 1970 | 26,796 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1971 | 27,730 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1972 | 33,251 tonnes | +19.9% |
| 1973 | 39,767 tonnes | +19.6% |
| 1974 | 28,270 tonnes | -28.9% |
| 1975 | 30,330 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1976 | 33,389 tonnes | +10.1% |
| 1977 | 35,199 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 36,779 tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1979 | 34,242 tonnes | -6.9% |
| 1980 | 28,884 tonnes | -15.6% |
| 1981 | 30,639 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1982 | 32,500 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1983 | 36,284 tonnes | +11.6% |
| 1984 | 39,056 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1985 | 31,549 tonnes | -19.2% |
| 1986 | 25,878 tonnes | -18.0% |
| 1987 | 24,198 tonnes | -6.5% |
| 1988 | 19,853 tonnes | -18.0% |
| 1989 | 23,885 tonnes | +20.3% |
| 1990 | 22,123 tonnes | -7.4% |
| 1991 | 28,494 tonnes | +28.8% |
| 1992 | 35,124 tonnes | +23.3% |
| 1993 | 40,665 tonnes | +15.8% |
| 1994 | 42,416 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 45,467 tonnes | +7.2% |
| 1996 | 43,956 tonnes | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 43,257 tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 44,757 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 48,479 tonnes | +8.3% |
| 2000 | 54,402 tonnes | +12.2% |
| 2001 | 61,951 tonnes | +13.9% |
| 2002 | 54,545 tonnes | -12.0% |
| 2003 | 63,610 tonnes | +16.6% |
| 2004 | 66,263 tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 69,008 tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 60,716 tonnes | -12.0% |
| 2007 | 61,780 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 57,436 tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2009 | 47,398 tonnes | -17.5% |
| 2010 | 51,944 tonnes | +9.6% |
| 2011 | 56,634 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 2012 | 57,222 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 56,022 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 64,077 tonnes | +14.4% |
| 2015 | 64,915 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 63,761 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 68,271 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 2018 | 70,503 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 70,395 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 69,271 tonnes | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 70,490 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 63,948 tonnes | -9.3% |
| 2023 | 52,291 tonnes | -18.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 52,291 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 101,624 tonnes, 51% of the median. (67 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 52,291 tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 33,674 tonnes, 1.6× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21,890 tonnes | 15,708 tonnes | 26,435 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 32,575 tonnes | 26,796 tonnes | 39,767 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 29,273 tonnes | 19,853 tonnes | 39,056 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 39,474 tonnes | 22,123 tonnes | 48,479 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 59,711 tonnes | 47,398 tonnes | 69,008 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 62,374 tonnes | 51,944 tonnes | 70,503 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 64,000 tonnes | 52,291 tonnes | 70,490 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More agriculture & rural data for New Zealand
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -10.07 % change on previous year (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,976 current US$ per person (2023)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.275 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.0% (2023)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer consumption in New Zealand?
- Fertilizer consumption in New Zealand was 52,291 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 consumption recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 70,503 tonnes in 2018.
- What is the lowest fertilizer consumption recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,708 tonnes in 1962.
- How does New Zealand rank for fertilizer consumption?
- New Zealand ranks 101st out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer consumption rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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 consumption. 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
Agricultural use from all fertilizer products (including nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers).