Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in North Korea
North Korea: Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre was 0.1802 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in North Korea, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in North Korea is 0.1802 tonnes per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 413.9% on the previous year and down 83.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in North Korea peaked at 5.47 tonnes per square kilometre in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.0351 tonnes per square kilometre, in 2022.
That places North Korea 117th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 North Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.6976 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.8637 tonnes per square kilometre | +23.8% |
| 1963 | 0.8969 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1964 | 0.9135 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 0.9551 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1966 | 1 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1967 | 1.08 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 1968 | 1.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 1.26 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.2% |
| 1970 | 1.7 tonnes per square kilometre | +34.9% |
| 1971 | 1.8 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1972 | 1.87 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 2.03 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.5% |
| 1974 | 2.09 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 2.19 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 3.2 tonnes per square kilometre | +46.1% |
| 1977 | 3.68 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.8% |
| 1978 | 4.44 tonnes per square kilometre | +20.8% |
| 1979 | 4.48 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 4.57 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 4.68 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 4.68 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 4.84 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 4.96 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 5.17 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1986 | 5.02 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.9% |
| 1987 | 5 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 5.27 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1989 | 5.35 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 5.44 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 5.47 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 5.42 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 5.28 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 2.49 tonnes per square kilometre | -52.8% |
| 1995 | 0.6976 tonnes per square kilometre | -72.0% |
| 1996 | 0.6013 tonnes per square kilometre | -13.8% |
| 1997 | 1.24 tonnes per square kilometre | +106.2% |
| 1998 | 1.07 tonnes per square kilometre | -14.1% |
| 1999 | 1.26 tonnes per square kilometre | +18.5% |
| 2000 | 1.37 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 2001 | 1.55 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.0% |
| 2002 | 0.6023 tonnes per square kilometre | -61.1% |
| 2003 | 0.4232 tonnes per square kilometre | -29.7% |
| 2004 | 0.8245 tonnes per square kilometre | +94.8% |
| 2005 | 0.7357 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.8% |
| 2006 | 0.9763 tonnes per square kilometre | +32.7% |
| 2007 | 0.6788 tonnes per square kilometre | -30.5% |
| 2008 | 0.6857 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 0.9149 tonnes per square kilometre | +33.4% |
| 2010 | 1.14 tonnes per square kilometre | +24.2% |
| 2011 | 1.43 tonnes per square kilometre | +25.9% |
| 2012 | 1.05 tonnes per square kilometre | -26.8% |
| 2013 | 1.11 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 2014 | 0.9286 tonnes per square kilometre | -16.7% |
| 2015 | 0.7773 tonnes per square kilometre | -16.3% |
| 2016 | 1.06 tonnes per square kilometre | +36.8% |
| 2017 | 0.9902 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.9% |
| 2018 | 1.49 tonnes per square kilometre | +50.1% |
| 2019 | 0.5714 tonnes per square kilometre | -61.5% |
| 2020 | 0.2478 tonnes per square kilometre | -56.6% |
| 2021 | 0.1609 tonnes per square kilometre | -35.1% |
| 2022 | 0.0351 tonnes per square kilometre | -78.2% |
| 2023 | 0.1802 tonnes per square kilometre | +413.9% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 0.1802 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.0565 tonnes per square kilometre, 3.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 0.1802 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1534 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in North Korea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +413.9% | 0.0351 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.1802 tonnes per square kilometre |
| 1997 | +106.2% | 0.6013 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.24 tonnes per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.9744 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.6976 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.26 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.75 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.7 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.48 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.95 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.57 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.35 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.9 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.6013 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.47 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.876 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.4232 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.55 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.05 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.5714 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.49 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.156 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.0351 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.2478 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 114 Burkina Faso 0.2377 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 115 Tanzania 0.2124 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 116 Trinidad and Tobago 0.1809 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 118 Peru 0.1736 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 119 United Arab Emirates 0.1603 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 120 Myanmar 0.1534 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for North Korea
- Rural population 9.52 million (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3581 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6454 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.6% (2025)
- Rural population 35.8% (2025)
- Aquaculture production 685,700 metric tons (2024)
- Cereal yield 3,610 kg per hectare (2024)
- Land under cereal production (hectares), annual growth rate 0.0436 % change on previous year (2024)
- Cereal production (metric tons), per capita 0.1844 metric tons per person (2024)
- Milk per animal 2,342 kilograms per animal (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in North Korea?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in North Korea was 0.1802 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 5.47 tonnes per square kilometre in 1991.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0351 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022.
- How does North Korea rank for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre?
- North Korea ranks 117th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 83.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea 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.