Fertilizer use by nutrient in China
China: Fertilizer use by nutrient was 24.55 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Fertilizer use by nutrient 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
China recorded 24.55 million tonnes for fertilizer use by nutrient in 2023.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 20.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use by nutrient in China peaked at 30.98 million tonnes in 2014 and was at its lowest, 544,000 tonnes, in 1961.
That places China 1st out of 201 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 | 1.65 million tonnes | 544,000 tonnes | 2.67 million tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.57 million tonnes | 3.37 million tonnes | 10.64 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.64 million tonnes | 11.53 million tonnes | 18.86 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.61 million tonnes | 18.00 million tonnes | 25.27 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.02 million tonnes | 22.14 million tonnes | 28.96 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.77 million tonnes | 26.74 million tonnes | 30.98 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.96 million tonnes | 24.44 million tonnes | 25.74 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 use by nutrient in China?
- Fertilizer use by nutrient in China was 24.55 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 use by nutrient recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 30.98 million tonnes in 2014.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use by nutrient recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 544,000 tonnes in 1961.
- How does China rank for fertilizer use by nutrient?
- China ranks 1st out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use by nutrient rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.3%. 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 use by nutrient. 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 use in the agricultural sector, which includes use for crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture.