Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand
New Zealand: Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland was 88.33 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
88.33 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
down 16.4%
World rank
77th
of 201 countries
All-time high
141.41 kilograms per hectare
in 2005
All-time low
38.69 kilograms per hectare
in 1962
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland 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 kilograms per hectare.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand is 88.33 kilograms per hectare, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.4% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand peaked at 141.41 kilograms per hectare in 2005 and was at its lowest, 38.69 kilograms per hectare, in 1962.
That places New Zealand 77th 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 use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 43.56 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 38.69 kilograms per hectare | -11.2% |
| 1963 | 47.32 kilograms per hectare | +22.3% |
| 1964 | 63.17 kilograms per hectare | +33.5% |
| 1965 | 65.11 kilograms per hectare | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 58.06 kilograms per hectare | -10.8% |
| 1967 | 49.14 kilograms per hectare | -15.4% |
| 1968 | 57.63 kilograms per hectare | +17.3% |
| 1969 | 62.56 kilograms per hectare | +8.6% |
| 1970 | 66 kilograms per hectare | +5.5% |
| 1971 | 68.3 kilograms per hectare | +3.5% |
| 1972 | 81.94 kilograms per hectare | +20.0% |
| 1973 | 99.01 kilograms per hectare | +20.8% |
| 1974 | 71.12 kilograms per hectare | -28.2% |
| 1975 | 73.35 kilograms per hectare | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 77.74 kilograms per hectare | +6.0% |
| 1977 | 81.63 kilograms per hectare | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 84.96 kilograms per hectare | +4.1% |
| 1979 | 75.59 kilograms per hectare | -11.0% |
| 1980 | 66.4 kilograms per hectare | -12.2% |
| 1981 | 67.71 kilograms per hectare | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 69.15 kilograms per hectare | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 75.2 kilograms per hectare | +8.7% |
| 1984 | 78.9 kilograms per hectare | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 61.62 kilograms per hectare | -21.9% |
| 1986 | 50.94 kilograms per hectare | -17.3% |
| 1987 | 52.15 kilograms per hectare | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 47.27 kilograms per hectare | -9.4% |
| 1989 | 56.4 kilograms per hectare | +19.3% |
| 1990 | 51.81 kilograms per hectare | -8.1% |
| 1991 | 66.42 kilograms per hectare | +28.2% |
| 1992 | 81.29 kilograms per hectare | +22.4% |
| 1993 | 93.53 kilograms per hectare | +15.1% |
| 1994 | 96.96 kilograms per hectare | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 103.3 kilograms per hectare | +6.5% |
| 1996 | 99.26 kilograms per hectare | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 97.08 kilograms per hectare | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 99.83 kilograms per hectare | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 107.47 kilograms per hectare | +7.7% |
| 2000 | 119.86 kilograms per hectare | +11.5% |
| 2001 | 135.65 kilograms per hectare | +13.2% |
| 2002 | 118.73 kilograms per hectare | -12.5% |
| 2003 | 135.34 kilograms per hectare | +14.0% |
| 2004 | 137.19 kilograms per hectare | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 141.41 kilograms per hectare | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 131.42 kilograms per hectare | -7.1% |
| 2007 | 123.56 kilograms per hectare | -6.0% |
| 2008 | 110.03 kilograms per hectare | -11.0% |
| 2009 | 87.45 kilograms per hectare | -20.5% |
| 2010 | 91.13 kilograms per hectare | +4.2% |
| 2011 | 104.49 kilograms per hectare | +14.7% |
| 2012 | 98.59 kilograms per hectare | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 90.65 kilograms per hectare | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 97.53 kilograms per hectare | +7.6% |
| 2015 | 119.11 kilograms per hectare | +22.1% |
| 2016 | 104.87 kilograms per hectare | -12.0% |
| 2017 | 122.35 kilograms per hectare | +16.7% |
| 2018 | 119.7 kilograms per hectare | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 113.54 kilograms per hectare | -5.1% |
| 2020 | 115.26 kilograms per hectare | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 102.16 kilograms per hectare | -11.4% |
| 2022 | 105.7 kilograms per hectare | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 88.33 kilograms per hectare | -16.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 53.92 kilograms per hectare | 38.69 kilograms per hectare | 65.11 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 77.96 kilograms per hectare | 66 kilograms per hectare | 99.01 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 62.57 kilograms per hectare | 47.27 kilograms per hectare | 78.9 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 89.7 kilograms per hectare | 51.81 kilograms per hectare | 107.47 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 124.06 kilograms per hectare | 87.45 kilograms per hectare | 141.41 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 106.2 kilograms per hectare | 90.65 kilograms per hectare | 122.35 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 102.86 kilograms per hectare | 88.33 kilograms per hectare | 115.26 kilograms per hectare | 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 use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand?
- Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in New Zealand was 88.33 kilograms per hectare 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 per hectare of cropland recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 141.41 kilograms per hectare in 2005.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.69 kilograms per hectare in 1962.
- How does New Zealand rank for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland?
- New Zealand ranks 77th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. 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 (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Agricultural use of all fertilizer products (including nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers) per area of cropland, which corresponds to the sum of arable land and permanent crops.