Nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in South Africa
South Africa: Nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland was 30.5 kilograms per hectare in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
30.5 kilograms per hectare
Change on year
down 22.3%
World rank
111th
of 201 countries
All-time high
44.86 kilograms per hectare
in 2021
All-time low
4.02 kilograms per hectare
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in South Africa, 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, nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in South Africa stood at 30.5 kilograms per hectare.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.3% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in South Africa peaked at 44.86 kilograms per hectare in 2021 and was at its lowest, 4.02 kilograms per hectare, in 1961.
That places South Africa 111th 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.
Nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in South Africa, year by year
| Year | kilograms per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.02 kilograms per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 5.2 kilograms per hectare | +29.4% |
| 1963 | 6.22 kilograms per hectare | +19.6% |
| 1964 | 6.78 kilograms per hectare | +9.0% |
| 1965 | 7.14 kilograms per hectare | +5.3% |
| 1966 | 7.09 kilograms per hectare | -0.7% |
| 1967 | 9.47 kilograms per hectare | +33.6% |
| 1968 | 10.39 kilograms per hectare | +9.7% |
| 1969 | 10.81 kilograms per hectare | +4.0% |
| 1970 | 13.01 kilograms per hectare | +20.4% |
| 1971 | 14.99 kilograms per hectare | +15.2% |
| 1972 | 18.18 kilograms per hectare | +21.3% |
| 1973 | 16.58 kilograms per hectare | -8.8% |
| 1974 | 16.5 kilograms per hectare | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 20.44 kilograms per hectare | +23.9% |
| 1976 | 22.6 kilograms per hectare | +10.6% |
| 1977 | 24.52 kilograms per hectare | +8.5% |
| 1978 | 27.03 kilograms per hectare | +10.2% |
| 1979 | 28.53 kilograms per hectare | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 33.22 kilograms per hectare | +16.4% |
| 1981 | 37.62 kilograms per hectare | +13.2% |
| 1982 | 33.85 kilograms per hectare | -10.0% |
| 1983 | 26.16 kilograms per hectare | -22.7% |
| 1984 | 29.09 kilograms per hectare | +11.2% |
| 1985 | 26.95 kilograms per hectare | -7.4% |
| 1986 | 26.02 kilograms per hectare | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 22.99 kilograms per hectare | -11.6% |
| 1988 | 26.57 kilograms per hectare | +15.6% |
| 1989 | 25.98 kilograms per hectare | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 25.94 kilograms per hectare | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 24.41 kilograms per hectare | -5.9% |
| 1992 | 24.25 kilograms per hectare | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 26.97 kilograms per hectare | +11.2% |
| 1994 | 24.53 kilograms per hectare | -9.0% |
| 1995 | 25.14 kilograms per hectare | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 26.05 kilograms per hectare | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 25.95 kilograms per hectare | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 25.99 kilograms per hectare | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 26.31 kilograms per hectare | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 26.37 kilograms per hectare | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 25.11 kilograms per hectare | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 30.45 kilograms per hectare | +21.3% |
| 2003 | 27.05 kilograms per hectare | -11.2% |
| 2004 | 28.13 kilograms per hectare | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 23.06 kilograms per hectare | -18.0% |
| 2006 | 29.77 kilograms per hectare | +29.1% |
| 2007 | 30.51 kilograms per hectare | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 28.96 kilograms per hectare | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 28.53 kilograms per hectare | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 27.42 kilograms per hectare | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 30.3 kilograms per hectare | +10.5% |
| 2012 | 30.81 kilograms per hectare | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 29.29 kilograms per hectare | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 28.64 kilograms per hectare | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 25.88 kilograms per hectare | -9.6% |
| 2016 | 23.71 kilograms per hectare | -8.4% |
| 2017 | 34.08 kilograms per hectare | +43.7% |
| 2018 | 36.83 kilograms per hectare | +8.1% |
| 2019 | 38.8 kilograms per hectare | +5.3% |
| 2020 | 42.66 kilograms per hectare | +9.9% |
| 2021 | 44.86 kilograms per hectare | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 39.27 kilograms per hectare | -12.5% |
| 2023 | 30.5 kilograms per hectare | -22.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.46 kilograms per hectare | 4.02 kilograms per hectare | 10.81 kilograms per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 20.24 kilograms per hectare | 13.01 kilograms per hectare | 28.53 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.84 kilograms per hectare | 22.99 kilograms per hectare | 37.62 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.55 kilograms per hectare | 24.25 kilograms per hectare | 26.97 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.79 kilograms per hectare | 23.06 kilograms per hectare | 30.51 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.58 kilograms per hectare | 23.71 kilograms per hectare | 38.8 kilograms per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.32 kilograms per hectare | 30.5 kilograms per hectare | 44.86 kilograms per hectare | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in South Africa?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland in South Africa was 30.5 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 nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 44.86 kilograms per hectare in 2021.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.02 kilograms per hectare in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland?
- South Africa ranks 111th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. 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 (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Nitrogen fertilizer use per hectare of cropland. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Application of nitrogen fertilizer, measured in kilograms of total nutrient per hectare of cropland.