Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Nigeria
Nigeria: Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland was 3.54 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
3.54 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
down 42.0%
World rank
180th
of 201 countries
All-time high
19.05 kilograms per hectare
in 2020
All-time low
0.05 kilograms per hectare
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Nigeria, 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
In 2023, fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Nigeria stood at 3.54 kilograms per hectare.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 42.0% on the previous year and down 51.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Nigeria peaked at 19.05 kilograms per hectare in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.05 kilograms per hectare, in 1961.
That places Nigeria 180th out of 201 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.05 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 0.05 kilograms per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.07 kilograms per hectare | +40.0% |
| 1964 | 0.1 kilograms per hectare | +42.9% |
| 1965 | 0.13 kilograms per hectare | +30.0% |
| 1966 | 0.26 kilograms per hectare | +100.0% |
| 1967 | 0.27 kilograms per hectare | +3.8% |
| 1968 | 0.36 kilograms per hectare | +33.3% |
| 1969 | 0.37 kilograms per hectare | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 0.25 kilograms per hectare | -32.4% |
| 1971 | 0.33 kilograms per hectare | +32.0% |
| 1972 | 0.68 kilograms per hectare | +106.1% |
| 1973 | 0.52 kilograms per hectare | -23.5% |
| 1974 | 1 kilograms per hectare | +92.3% |
| 1975 | 1.89 kilograms per hectare | +89.0% |
| 1976 | 2.72 kilograms per hectare | +43.9% |
| 1977 | 2.54 kilograms per hectare | -6.6% |
| 1978 | 2.43 kilograms per hectare | -4.3% |
| 1979 | 3.64 kilograms per hectare | +49.8% |
| 1980 | 5.8 kilograms per hectare | +59.3% |
| 1981 | 7.08 kilograms per hectare | +22.1% |
| 1982 | 7.04 kilograms per hectare | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 8.53 kilograms per hectare | +21.2% |
| 1984 | 8.66 kilograms per hectare | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 7.15 kilograms per hectare | -17.4% |
| 1986 | 8.19 kilograms per hectare | +14.5% |
| 1987 | 7.47 kilograms per hectare | -8.8% |
| 1988 | 10.26 kilograms per hectare | +37.3% |
| 1989 | 11.41 kilograms per hectare | +11.2% |
| 1990 | 12.49 kilograms per hectare | +9.5% |
| 1991 | 12.89 kilograms per hectare | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 12.75 kilograms per hectare | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 13.2 kilograms per hectare | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 8.24 kilograms per hectare | -37.6% |
| 1995 | 4.8 kilograms per hectare | -41.7% |
| 1996 | 4.53 kilograms per hectare | -5.6% |
| 1997 | 3.58 kilograms per hectare | -21.0% |
| 1998 | 4.15 kilograms per hectare | +15.9% |
| 1999 | 4.14 kilograms per hectare | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 4.6 kilograms per hectare | +11.1% |
| 2001 | 5.32 kilograms per hectare | +15.7% |
| 2002 | 3.69 kilograms per hectare | -30.6% |
| 2003 | 5.13 kilograms per hectare | +39.0% |
| 2004 | 3.8 kilograms per hectare | -25.9% |
| 2005 | 6.15 kilograms per hectare | +61.8% |
| 2006 | 8.83 kilograms per hectare | +43.6% |
| 2007 | 3.7 kilograms per hectare | -58.1% |
| 2008 | 5.02 kilograms per hectare | +35.7% |
| 2009 | 3.89 kilograms per hectare | -22.5% |
| 2010 | 9.53 kilograms per hectare | +145.0% |
| 2011 | 5.29 kilograms per hectare | -44.5% |
| 2012 | 7.15 kilograms per hectare | +35.2% |
| 2013 | 7.29 kilograms per hectare | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 7.67 kilograms per hectare | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 6.81 kilograms per hectare | -11.2% |
| 2016 | 9.17 kilograms per hectare | +34.7% |
| 2017 | 17.3 kilograms per hectare | +88.7% |
| 2018 | 15.99 kilograms per hectare | -7.6% |
| 2019 | 15.83 kilograms per hectare | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 19.05 kilograms per hectare | +20.3% |
| 2021 | 15.15 kilograms per hectare | -20.5% |
| 2022 | 6.1 kilograms per hectare | -59.7% |
| 2023 | 3.54 kilograms per hectare | -42.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 3.54 kilograms per hectare is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.06 kilograms per hectare, 14% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 3.54 kilograms per hectare is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.73 kilograms per hectare, 41% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1844 kilograms per hectare | 0.05 kilograms per hectare | 0.37 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.6 kilograms per hectare | 0.25 kilograms per hectare | 3.64 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.16 kilograms per hectare | 5.8 kilograms per hectare | 11.41 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.08 kilograms per hectare | 3.58 kilograms per hectare | 13.2 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.01 kilograms per hectare | 3.69 kilograms per hectare | 8.83 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.2 kilograms per hectare | 5.29 kilograms per hectare | 17.3 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.96 kilograms per hectare | 3.54 kilograms per hectare | 19.05 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 177 Saint Kitts and Nevis 5.1 kilograms per hectare compare
- 178 Kazakhstan 3.86 kilograms per hectare compare
- 179 Palau 3.73 kilograms per hectare compare
- 181 Haiti 3.39 kilograms per hectare compare
- 182 Cape Verde 3.28 kilograms per hectare compare
- 183 Cuba 3.09 kilograms per hectare compare
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.9222 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1938 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.5433 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.2993 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Nigeria?
- Fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in Nigeria was 3.54 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 19.05 kilograms per hectare in 2020.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.05 kilograms per hectare in 1961.
- How does Nigeria rank for fertilizer use per hectare of cropland?
- Nigeria ranks 180th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.
Download this data
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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.