Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Australia
Australia: Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre was 0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 11.9%
World rank
106th
of 195 countries
All-time high
0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
0.0046 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Australia, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Australia stood at 0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.9% on the previous year and up 75.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Australia peaked at 0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0046 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
Australia ranks 106th of 195 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Australia, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0046 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.0057 tonnes per square kilometre | +25.1% |
| 1963 | 0.0091 tonnes per square kilometre | +60.3% |
| 1964 | 0.0083 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.8% |
| 1965 | 0.0091 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.4% |
| 1966 | 0.0111 tonnes per square kilometre | +22.0% |
| 1967 | 0.0169 tonnes per square kilometre | +52.2% |
| 1968 | 0.0183 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.0% |
| 1969 | 0.0163 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.7% |
| 1970 | 0.0161 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1971 | 0.0162 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 0.0217 tonnes per square kilometre | +34.1% |
| 1973 | 0.0224 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 0.0231 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 0.0217 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.0% |
| 1976 | 0.027 tonnes per square kilometre | +24.4% |
| 1977 | 0.023 tonnes per square kilometre | -14.8% |
| 1978 | 0.028 tonnes per square kilometre | +21.5% |
| 1979 | 0.0319 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.0% |
| 1980 | 0.0323 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 0.0325 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 0.0336 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 0.0397 tonnes per square kilometre | +18.2% |
| 1984 | 0.0448 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.8% |
| 1985 | 0.0443 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 0.0433 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 0.0473 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.2% |
| 1988 | 0.0511 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 1989 | 0.0573 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.1% |
| 1990 | 0.0572 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 0.0602 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1992 | 0.0635 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1993 | 0.0736 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.8% |
| 1994 | 0.0759 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 0.0874 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.1% |
| 1996 | 0.1073 tonnes per square kilometre | +22.8% |
| 1997 | 0.1093 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 0.1274 tonnes per square kilometre | +16.6% |
| 1999 | 0.1408 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.5% |
| 2000 | 0.1238 tonnes per square kilometre | -12.1% |
| 2001 | 0.1346 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.7% |
| 2002 | 0.1266 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.0% |
| 2003 | 0.1214 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 0.1375 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.3% |
| 2005 | 0.1239 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.9% |
| 2006 | 0.1117 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.9% |
| 2007 | 0.1104 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 0.1087 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 0.1106 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 0.1278 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.5% |
| 2011 | 0.143 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.9% |
| 2012 | 0.1464 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 0.1591 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.7% |
| 2014 | 0.1828 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.9% |
| 2015 | 0.1696 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.3% |
| 2016 | 0.1916 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.0% |
| 2017 | 0.1942 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 0.1835 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 0.1739 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.2% |
| 2020 | 0.2347 tonnes per square kilometre | +35.0% |
| 2021 | 0.2681 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.2% |
| 2022 | 0.2499 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.9% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.7098 tonnes per square kilometre, 39% of the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Australia's 0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1534 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.8× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0111 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.0046 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.0183 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0231 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.0161 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.0319 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0426 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.0323 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.0573 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0903 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.0572 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.1408 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1209 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.1087 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.1375 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1672 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.1278 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.1942 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2581 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.2347 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 103 Zambia 0.3122 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 104 Norway 0.2914 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 105 Kenya 0.2868 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 107 Laos 0.2773 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 108 Cote d'Ivoire 0.2692 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 109 Burundi 0.2682 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Australia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0227 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,476 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.5855 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1228 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Australia?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Australia was 0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2796 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0046 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Australia rank for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre?
- Australia ranks 106th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 75.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre. 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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Nitrogen fertilizer use ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Nitrogen fertilizer use Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.