Fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in South Africa
South Africa: Fertilizer use per hectare of arable land was 77.19 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
77.19 kilograms per hectare of arable land
Change on year
down 15.6%
World rank
105th
of 199 countries
All-time high
104.64 kilograms per hectare of arable land
in 2021
All-time low
17.91 kilograms per hectare of arable land
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in South Africa, 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
South Africa recorded 77.19 kilograms per hectare of arable land for fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in 2023.
The figure is down 15.6% on the previous year and up 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in South Africa peaked at 104.64 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2021 and was at its lowest, 17.91 kilograms per hectare of arable land, in 1961.
That places South Africa 105th out of 199 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 use per hectare of arable land in South Africa, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare of arable land | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 17.91 kilograms per hectare of arable land | — |
| 1962 | 21.58 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +20.5% |
| 1963 | 24.38 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +13.0% |
| 1964 | 28.3 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +16.1% |
| 1965 | 29.84 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +5.4% |
| 1966 | 35.05 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +17.4% |
| 1967 | 38.66 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +10.3% |
| 1968 | 41.45 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +7.2% |
| 1969 | 41.58 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 45.55 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +9.5% |
| 1971 | 50.37 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +10.6% |
| 1972 | 56.78 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +12.7% |
| 1973 | 56.73 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 58.32 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 62.87 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +7.8% |
| 1976 | 66.1 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +5.1% |
| 1977 | 70.54 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +6.7% |
| 1978 | 74.36 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +5.4% |
| 1979 | 78.29 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +5.3% |
| 1980 | 86.29 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +10.2% |
| 1981 | 99.88 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +15.8% |
| 1982 | 91.71 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -8.2% |
| 1983 | 71.07 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -22.5% |
| 1984 | 77.96 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +9.7% |
| 1985 | 70.97 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -9.0% |
| 1986 | 66.1 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -6.9% |
| 1987 | 56.75 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -14.2% |
| 1988 | 65.62 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +15.6% |
| 1989 | 61.72 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -5.9% |
| 1990 | 61.33 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 57.37 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -6.5% |
| 1992 | 55.67 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -3.0% |
| 1993 | 62.82 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +12.8% |
| 1994 | 55.92 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -11.0% |
| 1995 | 56.81 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 58.89 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 55.55 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -5.7% |
| 1998 | 57.14 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 56.45 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 53.6 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 55.72 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 61.2 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +9.8% |
| 2003 | 55.15 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -9.9% |
| 2004 | 60.29 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +9.3% |
| 2005 | 47.33 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -21.5% |
| 2006 | 62.34 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +31.7% |
| 2007 | 61.02 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 56.29 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -7.7% |
| 2009 | 55.75 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 53.78 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 60.33 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +12.2% |
| 2012 | 61.58 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 67.5 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +9.6% |
| 2014 | 66.49 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 62.67 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 57.25 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -8.7% |
| 2017 | 72.83 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +27.2% |
| 2018 | 90.09 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +23.7% |
| 2019 | 91.79 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 94.25 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 104.64 kilograms per hectare of arable land | +11.0% |
| 2022 | 91.47 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -12.6% |
| 2023 | 77.19 kilograms per hectare of arable land | -15.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 30.97 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 17.91 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 41.58 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 9 |
| 1970s | 61.99 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 45.55 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 78.29 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 1980s | 74.81 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 56.75 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 99.88 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.8 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 55.55 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 62.82 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.87 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 47.33 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 62.34 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.43 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 53.78 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 91.79 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 10 |
| 2020s | 91.89 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 77.19 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 104.64 kilograms per hectare of arable land | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 102 Lao People's Democratic Republic 77.41 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 103 Vanuatu 77.35 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 104 Zambia 77.27 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 106 Estonia 74.86 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 107 El Salvador 74.6 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
- 108 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 69.5 kilograms per hectare of arable land compare
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3618 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in South Africa?
- Fertilizer use per hectare of arable land in South Africa was 77.19 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 104.64 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2021.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per hectare of arable land recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.91 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for fertilizer use per hectare of arable land?
- South Africa ranks 105th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per hectare of arable land rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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.