Nitrogen fertilizer use in China
China: Nitrogen fertilizer use was 24.55 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
24.55 million tonnes
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
1st
of 202 countries
All-time high
30.98 million tonnes
in 2014
All-time low
544,000 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Nitrogen fertilizer use 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
In 2023, nitrogen fertilizer use in China stood at 24.55 million tonnes.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 20.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use 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 202 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.
Nitrogen fertilizer use in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 544,000 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 810,000 tonnes | +48.9% |
| 1963 | 974,000 tonnes | +20.2% |
| 1964 | 1.25 million tonnes | +28.3% |
| 1965 | 1.83 million tonnes | +46.6% |
| 1966 | 2.67 million tonnes | +45.8% |
| 1967 | 1.96 million tonnes | -26.7% |
| 1968 | 2.15 million tonnes | +9.6% |
| 1969 | 2.63 million tonnes | +22.8% |
| 1970 | 3.37 million tonnes | +27.9% |
| 1971 | 3.37 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 3.86 million tonnes | +14.5% |
| 1973 | 4.45 million tonnes | +15.3% |
| 1974 | 3.85 million tonnes | -13.5% |
| 1975 | 5.04 million tonnes | +30.9% |
| 1976 | 4.75 million tonnes | -5.6% |
| 1977 | 7.07 million tonnes | +48.7% |
| 1978 | 9.28 million tonnes | +31.2% |
| 1979 | 10.64 million tonnes | +14.7% |
| 1980 | 12.11 million tonnes | +13.8% |
| 1981 | 11.53 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 1982 | 12.27 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1983 | 13.72 million tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1984 | 15.18 million tonnes | +10.6% |
| 1985 | 13.84 million tonnes | -8.8% |
| 1986 | 13.58 million tonnes | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 16.80 million tonnes | +23.8% |
| 1988 | 18.51 million tonnes | +10.2% |
| 1989 | 18.86 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 19.56 million tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 19.97 million tonnes | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 20.33 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 18.00 million tonnes | -11.4% |
| 1994 | 19.16 million tonnes | +6.4% |
| 1995 | 23.78 million tonnes | +24.1% |
| 1996 | 25.27 million tonnes | +6.3% |
| 1997 | 22.95 million tonnes | -9.2% |
| 1998 | 22.89 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 24.14 million tonnes | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 22.14 million tonnes | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 22.42 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 25.04 million tonnes | +11.7% |
| 2003 | 25.20 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 26.23 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 26.64 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 27.24 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 27.98 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 28.39 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 28.96 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 29.53 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 30.13 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 30.63 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 30.80 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 30.98 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 30.80 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 30.39 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 29.55 million tonnes | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 28.14 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 26.74 million tonnes | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 25.74 million tonnes | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 25.10 million tonnes | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 24.44 million tonnes | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 24.55 million tonnes | +0.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 24.55 million tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 54,228 tonnes, 452.6× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 24.55 million tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 21,697 tonnes, 1131.3× the median. (31 countries reporting)
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 (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use in China?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use 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 nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 30.98 million tonnes in 2014.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 544,000 tonnes in 1961.
- How does China rank for nitrogen fertilizer use?
- China ranks 1st out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use 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 Nitrogen fertilizer use. 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
Measures total nitrogen inputs, including synthetic fertilizers alongside organic inputs from manure and crop fixation. Measured in tonnes of nitrogen.