Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in China
China: Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre was 2.61 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
2.61 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
20th
of 195 countries
All-time high
3.3 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2014
All-time low
0.0579 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in China, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in China stood at 2.61 tonnes per square kilometre.
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, per square kilometre in China peaked at 3.3 tonnes per square kilometre in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.0579 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
China ranks 20th of 195 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0579 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.0863 tonnes per square kilometre | +48.9% |
| 1963 | 0.1037 tonnes per square kilometre | +20.2% |
| 1964 | 0.1331 tonnes per square kilometre | +28.3% |
| 1965 | 0.1951 tonnes per square kilometre | +46.6% |
| 1966 | 0.2845 tonnes per square kilometre | +45.8% |
| 1967 | 0.2086 tonnes per square kilometre | -26.7% |
| 1968 | 0.2286 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.6% |
| 1969 | 0.2807 tonnes per square kilometre | +22.8% |
| 1970 | 0.3589 tonnes per square kilometre | +27.9% |
| 1971 | 0.359 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.411 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.5% |
| 1973 | 0.4741 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.3% |
| 1974 | 0.41 tonnes per square kilometre | -13.5% |
| 1975 | 0.5367 tonnes per square kilometre | +30.9% |
| 1976 | 0.5065 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 1977 | 0.7534 tonnes per square kilometre | +48.7% |
| 1978 | 0.9885 tonnes per square kilometre | +31.2% |
| 1979 | 1.13 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.7% |
| 1980 | 1.29 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.8% |
| 1981 | 1.23 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 1982 | 1.31 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 1983 | 1.46 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.8% |
| 1984 | 1.62 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 1985 | 1.47 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.8% |
| 1986 | 1.45 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 1.79 tonnes per square kilometre | +23.8% |
| 1988 | 1.97 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 1989 | 2.01 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 2.08 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 2.13 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 2.17 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 1.92 tonnes per square kilometre | -11.4% |
| 1994 | 2.04 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1995 | 2.53 tonnes per square kilometre | +24.1% |
| 1996 | 2.69 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.3% |
| 1997 | 2.44 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.2% |
| 1998 | 2.44 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 2.57 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 2.36 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 2.39 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 2.67 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.7% |
| 2003 | 2.68 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 2.79 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 2.84 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 2.9 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 2.98 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 3.02 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 3.08 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 3.15 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 3.21 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 3.26 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 3.28 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 3.3 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 3.28 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 3.24 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 3.15 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 3 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 2.85 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 2.74 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 2.67 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 2.6 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 2.61 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 2.61 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.4782 tonnes per square kilometre, 5.5× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 2.61 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1534 tonnes per square kilometre, 17.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1754 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.0579 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.2845 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.5931 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.3589 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.13 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.56 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.23 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.01 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.92 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.69 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.77 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.36 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.08 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.17 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.85 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.3 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.66 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.6 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.74 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 17 Hungary 2.91 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 18 Malawi 2.91 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 19 Serbia 2.76 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 21 Turkey 2.53 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 22 Mauritius 2.5 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 23 Belarus 2.42 tonnes per square kilometre compare
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 square kilometre in China?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in China was 2.61 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3.3 tonnes per square kilometre in 2014.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0579 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does China rank for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre?
- China ranks 20th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre 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 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.