Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre was 0.3467 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
0.3467 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
down 22.3%
World rank
95th
of 195 countries
All-time high
0.5101 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2021
All-time low
0.0449 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in South Africa is 0.3467 tonnes per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.3% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 0.5101 tonnes per square kilometre in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.0449 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places South Africa 95th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0449 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.0583 tonnes per square kilometre | +29.8% |
| 1963 | 0.0701 tonnes per square kilometre | +20.3% |
| 1964 | 0.0767 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.5% |
| 1965 | 0.0812 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 1966 | 0.0807 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 0.108 tonnes per square kilometre | +33.8% |
| 1968 | 0.1186 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.8% |
| 1969 | 0.1237 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1970 | 0.1489 tonnes per square kilometre | +20.4% |
| 1971 | 0.1718 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.4% |
| 1972 | 0.2086 tonnes per square kilometre | +21.4% |
| 1973 | 0.1905 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.7% |
| 1974 | 0.1897 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 0.2352 tonnes per square kilometre | +24.0% |
| 1976 | 0.2604 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.7% |
| 1977 | 0.2828 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 1978 | 0.3123 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.5% |
| 1979 | 0.33 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1980 | 0.3845 tonnes per square kilometre | +16.5% |
| 1981 | 0.4357 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.3% |
| 1982 | 0.3923 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.0% |
| 1983 | 0.3033 tonnes per square kilometre | -22.7% |
| 1984 | 0.3372 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.2% |
| 1985 | 0.3124 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 1986 | 0.3074 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 0.2705 tonnes per square kilometre | -12.0% |
| 1988 | 0.314 tonnes per square kilometre | +16.0% |
| 1989 | 0.3093 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 0.3113 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 0.2952 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.2% |
| 1992 | 0.2992 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 0.3393 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.4% |
| 1994 | 0.3092 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.9% |
| 1995 | 0.3182 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 0.3339 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 0.3339 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.3347 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 0.3405 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 0.3428 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 0.324 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.5% |
| 2002 | 0.3933 tonnes per square kilometre | +21.4% |
| 2003 | 0.3469 tonnes per square kilometre | -11.8% |
| 2004 | 0.3525 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 0.2863 tonnes per square kilometre | -18.8% |
| 2006 | 0.3534 tonnes per square kilometre | +23.5% |
| 2007 | 0.3623 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 0.3496 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 0.3413 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 0.3256 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 2011 | 0.3454 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 2012 | 0.3503 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 0.333 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 0.3256 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 0.2943 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.6% |
| 2016 | 0.2696 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.4% |
| 2017 | 0.3874 tonnes per square kilometre | +43.7% |
| 2018 | 0.4187 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 2019 | 0.4412 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 0.485 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.9% |
| 2021 | 0.5101 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 0.4465 tonnes per square kilometre | -12.5% |
| 2023 | 0.3467 tonnes per square kilometre | -22.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.3467 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.4782 tonnes per square kilometre, 73% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.3467 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0709 tonnes per square kilometre, 4.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0847 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.0449 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.1237 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.233 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.1489 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.33 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3367 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.2705 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.4357 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3215 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.2952 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.3405 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3452 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.2863 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.3933 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3491 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.2696 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.4412 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4471 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.3467 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.5101 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 92 Iraq 0.391 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 93 Colombia 0.3841 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 94 Canada 0.3545 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 96 Ghana 0.3467 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 97 Paraguay 0.3397 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 98 Ecuador 0.3351 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3618 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in South Africa was 0.3467 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5101 tonnes per square kilometre in 2021.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0449 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 95th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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.