Fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in New Zealand
New Zealand: Fertilizer use per hectare of arable land was 1,291 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1,291 kilograms per hectare of arable land
Change on year
down 21.0%
World rank
3rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
2,243 kilograms per hectare of arable land
in 2001
All-time low
752.6 kilograms per hectare of arable land
in 1962
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in New Zealand, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per hectare of arable land.
Analysis
In 2023, fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in New Zealand stood at 1,291 kilograms per hectare of arable land.
That represents a change of down 21.0% on the previous year and down 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in New Zealand peaked at 2,243 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2001 and was at its lowest, 752.6 kilograms per hectare of arable land, in 1962.
New Zealand ranks 3rd of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare of arable land | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 765.26 kilograms per hectare of arable land | — |
| 1962 | 752.6 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -1.7% |
| 1963 | 913.16 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +21.3% |
| 1964 | 1,216 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +33.2% |
| 1965 | 1,202 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 1,075 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -10.6% |
| 1967 | 948.91 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -11.7% |
| 1968 | 1,105 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +16.4% |
| 1969 | 1,174 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +6.3% |
| 1970 | 1,193 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 1,259 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +5.5% |
| 1972 | 1,426 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +13.3% |
| 1973 | 1,773 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +24.4% |
| 1974 | 1,251 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -29.4% |
| 1975 | 1,344 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +7.4% |
| 1976 | 1,321 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 1,393 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 1,447 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +3.9% |
| 1979 | 1,301 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -10.1% |
| 1980 | 1,160 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -10.8% |
| 1981 | 1,114 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -4.0% |
| 1982 | 1,064 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -4.5% |
| 1983 | 1,144 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +7.6% |
| 1984 | 1,132 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 910.45 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -19.5% |
| 1986 | 756.99 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -16.9% |
| 1987 | 874.05 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +15.5% |
| 1988 | 791.71 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -9.4% |
| 1989 | 987.85 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +24.8% |
| 1990 | 902.89 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -8.6% |
| 1991 | 1,151 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +27.5% |
| 1992 | 1,381 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +20.0% |
| 1993 | 1,601 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +15.9% |
| 1994 | 1,653 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 1,732 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 1,663 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -4.0% |
| 1997 | 1,629 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 1,652 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 1,776 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 2,012 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +13.3% |
| 2001 | 2,243 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +11.5% |
| 2002 | 1,889 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -15.8% |
| 2003 | 2,054 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +8.8% |
| 2004 | 2,124 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 2,242 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 2,087 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -6.9% |
| 2007 | 1,943 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -6.9% |
| 2008 | 1,722 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -11.4% |
| 2009 | 1,330 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -22.7% |
| 2010 | 1,402 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +5.4% |
| 2011 | 1,622 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +15.7% |
| 2012 | 1,506 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -7.2% |
| 2013 | 1,368 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -9.2% |
| 2014 | 1,431 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +4.6% |
| 2015 | 1,786 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +24.8% |
| 2016 | 1,538 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -13.9% |
| 2017 | 1,821 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +18.3% |
| 2018 | 1,776 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 1,677 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 1,726 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 1,445 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -16.3% |
| 2022 | 1,633 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +13.0% |
| 2023 | 1,291 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -21.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,017 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 752.6 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 1,216 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,371 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 1,193 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 1,773 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 1980s | 993.52 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 756.99 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 1,160 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,514 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 902.89 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 1,776 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,965 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 1,330 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 2,243 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,593 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 1,368 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 1,821 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,524 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 1,291 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 1,726 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 1 Malaysia 2,926 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 2 Kuwait 2,008 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 4 Costa Rica 1,025 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 5 Ireland 895.87 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 6 Faroe Islands 614.29 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
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 use per hectare of arable land in New Zealand?
- Fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in New Zealand was 1,291 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertilizer use per hectare of arable land recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 2,243 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2001.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per hectare of arable land recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 752.6 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 1962.
- How does New Zealand rank for fertilizer use per hectare of arable land?
- New Zealand ranks 3rd out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per hectare of arable land rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. 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 (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertilizer use per hectare of arable land. 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
Fertilizer products cover nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers (including ground rock phosphate). Animal and plant manures are not included. Application rates are measured in kilograms per hectare.