Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China
China: Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area was 28.05 kg/ha in 2023. ▲ Rising
Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/ha.
Analysis
In 2023, biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China stood at 28.05 kg/ha.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 25.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China peaked at 28.22 kg/ha in 2022 and was at its lowest, 17.93 kg/ha, in 1991.
That places China 17th out of 176 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China, year by year
| Year | kg/ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 21.95 kg/ha | — |
| 1962 | 23.78 kg/ha | +8.3% |
| 1963 | 22.85 kg/ha | -3.9% |
| 1964 | 24.66 kg/ha | +7.9% |
| 1965 | 23.25 kg/ha | -5.7% |
| 1966 | 23.38 kg/ha | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 23.45 kg/ha | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 22.55 kg/ha | -3.9% |
| 1969 | 22.3 kg/ha | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 23.88 kg/ha | +7.1% |
| 1971 | 24.05 kg/ha | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 22.63 kg/ha | -5.9% |
| 1973 | 23.76 kg/ha | +5.0% |
| 1974 | 23.14 kg/ha | -2.6% |
| 1975 | 23.26 kg/ha | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 22.82 kg/ha | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 22.86 kg/ha | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 23.24 kg/ha | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 23.63 kg/ha | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 24.29 kg/ha | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 25.1 kg/ha | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 23.81 kg/ha | -5.1% |
| 1983 | 22.23 kg/ha | -6.6% |
| 1984 | 21.29 kg/ha | -4.2% |
| 1985 | 20.99 kg/ha | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 21.16 kg/ha | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 21.3 kg/ha | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 20.79 kg/ha | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 19.53 kg/ha | -6.1% |
| 1990 | 20.13 kg/ha | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 17.93 kg/ha | -10.9% |
| 1992 | 18.09 kg/ha | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 22.16 kg/ha | +22.5% |
| 1994 | 23.17 kg/ha | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 21.79 kg/ha | -5.9% |
| 1996 | 21.46 kg/ha | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 22.11 kg/ha | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 23.41 kg/ha | +5.9% |
| 1999 | 23.07 kg/ha | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 24.68 kg/ha | +7.0% |
| 2001 | 24.73 kg/ha | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 24.88 kg/ha | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 23.97 kg/ha | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 24.73 kg/ha | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 24.48 kg/ha | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 22.73 kg/ha | -7.1% |
| 2007 | 21.69 kg/ha | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 23.44 kg/ha | +8.1% |
| 2009 | 23.2 kg/ha | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 23.25 kg/ha | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 23.38 kg/ha | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 22.79 kg/ha | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 22.35 kg/ha | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 22.42 kg/ha | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 22 kg/ha | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 23.06 kg/ha | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 25.11 kg/ha | +8.9% |
| 2018 | 25.56 kg/ha | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 26.75 kg/ha | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 27.74 kg/ha | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 26.08 kg/ha | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 28.22 kg/ha | +8.2% |
| 2023 | 28.05 kg/ha | -0.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 28.05 kg/ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.48 kg/ha, 5.1× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- China's 28.05 kg/ha is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.02 kg/ha, 5.6× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 23.13 kg/ha | 21.95 kg/ha | 24.66 kg/ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 23.33 kg/ha | 22.63 kg/ha | 24.05 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.05 kg/ha | 19.53 kg/ha | 25.1 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.33 kg/ha | 17.93 kg/ha | 23.41 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.85 kg/ha | 21.69 kg/ha | 24.88 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.67 kg/ha | 22 kg/ha | 26.75 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.52 kg/ha | 26.08 kg/ha | 28.22 kg/ha | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 14 Belize 28.58 kg/ha compare
- 14 Syrian Arab Republic 2.53 kg/ha compare
- 15 Republic of Moldova 2.28 kg/ha compare
- 15 Zambia 28.37 kg/ha compare
- 16 China, mainland 28.15 kg/ha compare
- 16 Melanesia 1.62 kg/ha compare
- 17 Polynesia 1.38 kg/ha compare
- 18 Micronesia (Federated States of) 1.24 kg/ha compare
- 18 Suriname 23.57 kg/ha compare
- 19 Guinea-Bissau 23.48 kg/ha compare
- 20 Rwanda 21.74 kg/ha compare
- 20 Caribbean 5.74 kg/ha compare
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 5.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8065 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.2517 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China?
- Biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China was 28.05 kg/ha in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 28.22 kg/ha in 2022.
- What is the lowest biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.93 kg/ha in 1991.
- How does China rank for biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area?
- China ranks 17th out of 176 countries with data for 2023.
- Is biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The Cropland Nutrient balance domain contains information on the flows of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from mineral fertilizer, manure applied, atmospheric deposition, crop removal, and biological fixation over cropland and per unit area of cropland. The flows are aggregated to total inputs and total outputs, from which the overall nutrient balance and nutrient use efficiency on cropland are calculated. Statistics are disseminated in units of tonnes and in kg/ha, as appropriate. Nutrient use efficiency is expressed as a fraction (%).