Nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita in China
China: Nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita was 0.0174 tonnes per person in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita in China, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
In 2023, nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita in China stood at 0.0174 tonnes per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 23.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita in China peaked at 0.0226 tonnes per person in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.0008 tonnes per person, in 1961.
That places China 37th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0008 tonnes per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.0012 tonnes per person | +47.7% |
| 1963 | 0.0014 tonnes per person | +17.3% |
| 1964 | 0.0018 tonnes per person | +25.4% |
| 1965 | 0.0026 tonnes per person | +43.1% |
| 1966 | 0.0036 tonnes per person | +41.8% |
| 1967 | 0.0026 tonnes per person | -28.6% |
| 1968 | 0.0028 tonnes per person | +6.8% |
| 1969 | 0.0033 tonnes per person | +19.5% |
| 1970 | 0.0041 tonnes per person | +24.4% |
| 1971 | 0.004 tonnes per person | -2.7% |
| 1972 | 0.0045 tonnes per person | +11.7% |
| 1973 | 0.005 tonnes per person | +12.7% |
| 1974 | 0.0043 tonnes per person | -15.3% |
| 1975 | 0.0055 tonnes per person | +28.6% |
| 1976 | 0.0051 tonnes per person | -7.1% |
| 1977 | 0.0075 tonnes per person | +46.7% |
| 1978 | 0.0097 tonnes per person | +29.5% |
| 1979 | 0.011 tonnes per person | +13.1% |
| 1980 | 0.0123 tonnes per person | +12.4% |
| 1981 | 0.0116 tonnes per person | -6.0% |
| 1982 | 0.0122 tonnes per person | +4.9% |
| 1983 | 0.0134 tonnes per person | +10.2% |
| 1984 | 0.0146 tonnes per person | +9.2% |
| 1985 | 0.0132 tonnes per person | -10.1% |
| 1986 | 0.0127 tonnes per person | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 0.0155 tonnes per person | +21.8% |
| 1988 | 0.0168 tonnes per person | +8.4% |
| 1989 | 0.0169 tonnes per person | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 0.0172 tonnes per person | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 0.0174 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 0.0175 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 0.0153 tonnes per person | -12.5% |
| 1994 | 0.0161 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 1995 | 0.0197 tonnes per person | +22.8% |
| 1996 | 0.0208 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 1997 | 0.0187 tonnes per person | -10.1% |
| 1998 | 0.0184 tonnes per person | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.0193 tonnes per person | +4.6% |
| 2000 | 0.0175 tonnes per person | -9.0% |
| 2001 | 0.0176 tonnes per person | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 0.0196 tonnes per person | +10.9% |
| 2003 | 0.0196 tonnes per person | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0202 tonnes per person | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 0.0204 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 0.0208 tonnes per person | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 0.0212 tonnes per person | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 0.0214 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 0.0218 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 0.0221 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 0.0224 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 0.0226 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 0.0226 tonnes per person | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 0.0226 tonnes per person | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.0223 tonnes per person | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 0.0219 tonnes per person | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 0.0212 tonnes per person | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 0.0201 tonnes per person | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 0.019 tonnes per person | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 0.0182 tonnes per person | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 0.0178 tonnes per person | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 0.0173 tonnes per person | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 0.0174 tonnes per person | +0.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.0174 tonnes per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0063 tonnes per person, 2.7× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 0.0174 tonnes per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.0019 tonnes per person, 9.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0022 tonnes per person | 0.0008 tonnes per person | 0.0036 tonnes per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0061 tonnes per person | 0.004 tonnes per person | 0.011 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0139 tonnes per person | 0.0116 tonnes per person | 0.0169 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.018 tonnes per person | 0.0153 tonnes per person | 0.0208 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.02 tonnes per person | 0.0175 tonnes per person | 0.0218 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0217 tonnes per person | 0.019 tonnes per person | 0.0226 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0177 tonnes per person | 0.0173 tonnes per person | 0.0182 tonnes per person | 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, per capita in China?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita in China was 0.0174 tonnes per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0226 tonnes per person in 2012.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0008 tonnes per person in 1961.
- How does China rank for nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita?
- China ranks 37th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Nitrogen fertilizer use, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Nitrogen fertilizer use divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Nitrogen fertilizer use ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Nitrogen fertilizer use Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Nitrogen fertilizer use divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.