Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in India
India: Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre was 6.88 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in India, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in India is 6.88 tonnes per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 22.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in India peaked at 6.88 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.084 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
India ranks 2nd 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 India, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.084 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.112 tonnes per square kilometre | +33.3% |
| 1963 | 0.1267 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.2% |
| 1964 | 0.1867 tonnes per square kilometre | +47.3% |
| 1965 | 0.1933 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 0.2482 tonnes per square kilometre | +28.4% |
| 1967 | 0.348 tonnes per square kilometre | +40.2% |
| 1968 | 0.4065 tonnes per square kilometre | +16.8% |
| 1969 | 0.4561 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.2% |
| 1970 | 0.4974 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.1% |
| 1971 | 0.6047 tonnes per square kilometre | +21.6% |
| 1972 | 0.6185 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 0.6152 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 0.5939 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.5% |
| 1975 | 0.9245 tonnes per square kilometre | +55.7% |
| 1976 | 0.8264 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.6% |
| 1977 | 0.9798 tonnes per square kilometre | +18.6% |
| 1978 | 1.15 tonnes per square kilometre | +17.4% |
| 1979 | 1.18 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 1.24 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1981 | 1.37 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 1982 | 1.36 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 1.56 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.7% |
| 1984 | 1.79 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.0% |
| 1985 | 1.93 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.8% |
| 1986 | 2.2 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.5% |
| 1987 | 1.92 tonnes per square kilometre | -12.6% |
| 1988 | 2.41 tonnes per square kilometre | +25.5% |
| 1989 | 2.41 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 2.54 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 1991 | 2.71 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1992 | 2.83 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1993 | 2.95 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 3.2 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 1995 | 3.3 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 3.47 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 3.67 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1998 | 3.82 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 3.9 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 3.67 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 3.8 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 3.52 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 2003 | 3.73 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 2004 | 3.94 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 2005 | 4.28 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 2006 | 4.63 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 2007 | 4.85 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 2008 | 5 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 5.23 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 5.53 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 2011 | 5.84 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 5.66 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 5.63 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 5.7 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 5.84 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 5.63 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 5.7 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 5.93 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 6.34 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.0% |
| 2020 | 6.86 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 2021 | 6.55 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 6.8 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 6.88 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 6.88 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.2311 tonnes per square kilometre, 29.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- India's 6.88 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for South Asia, which is 1.36 tonnes per square kilometre, 5.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in India changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | +55.7% | 0.5939 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.9245 tonnes per square kilometre |
| 1964 | +47.3% | 0.1267 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.1867 tonnes per square kilometre |
| 1967 | +40.2% | 0.2482 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.348 tonnes per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.2402 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.084 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.4561 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.7987 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.4974 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.18 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.82 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.24 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.41 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.24 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.54 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.9 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.27 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.52 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.23 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.78 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.53 tonnes per square kilometre | 6.34 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.77 tonnes per square kilometre | 6.55 tonnes per square kilometre | 6.88 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
- 1 Bangladesh 11.53 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 3 Vietnam 5.63 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 4 Netherlands 5.62 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 5 Thailand 5.25 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for India
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -2.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 438.73 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4067 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6431 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in India?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in India was 6.88 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 6.88 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.084 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does India rank for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre?
- India ranks 2nd out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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.