Leaching — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China

China: Leaching — Cropland nitrogen per unit area was 27.39 kg/ha in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
27.39 kg/ha
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
25th
of 186 countries
All-time high
30.87 kg/ha
in 2015
All-time low
3.09 kg/ha
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Leaching — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China, 1961–2023

0102030196119922023

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/ha.

Analysis

In 2023, leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China stood at 27.39 kg/ha.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 10.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China peaked at 30.87 kg/ha in 2015 and was at its lowest, 3.09 kg/ha, in 1961.

China ranks 25th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.

Leaching — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China, year by year

Annual values for Leaching — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China, 1961 to 2023.
Year kg/ha Change
1961 3.09 kg/ha —
1962 3.28 kg/ha +6.0%
1963 3.64 kg/ha +11.1%
1964 4.24 kg/ha +16.3%
1965 5.03 kg/ha +18.7%
1966 6.06 kg/ha +20.6%
1967 5.65 kg/ha -6.9%
1968 5.9 kg/ha +4.6%
1969 6.37 kg/ha +7.9%
1970 7.06 kg/ha +10.9%
1971 7.36 kg/ha +4.3%
1972 8.2 kg/ha +11.3%
1973 8.92 kg/ha +8.8%
1974 8.29 kg/ha -7.0%
1975 9.62 kg/ha +16.0%
1976 9.5 kg/ha -1.3%
1977 11.8 kg/ha +24.3%
1978 14.05 kg/ha +19.0%
1979 15.51 kg/ha +10.4%
1980 17.21 kg/ha +11.0%
1981 16.46 kg/ha -4.4%
1982 16.39 kg/ha -0.4%
1983 16.98 kg/ha +3.6%
1984 17.25 kg/ha +1.5%
1985 15.36 kg/ha -11.0%
1986 15.26 kg/ha -0.6%
1987 17.94 kg/ha +17.6%
1988 19.2 kg/ha +7.0%
1989 19.46 kg/ha +1.4%
1990 19.9 kg/ha +2.3%
1991 20.3 kg/ha +2.0%
1992 20.99 kg/ha +3.4%
1993 19.57 kg/ha -6.7%
1994 20.77 kg/ha +6.1%
1995 24.74 kg/ha +19.1%
1996 26.39 kg/ha +6.7%
1997 23.98 kg/ha -9.2%
1998 24.02 kg/ha +0.2%
1999 25.3 kg/ha +5.3%
2000 24 kg/ha -5.2%
2001 24.03 kg/ha +0.1%
2002 26.14 kg/ha +8.8%
2003 26.06 kg/ha -0.3%
2004 26.89 kg/ha +3.2%
2005 27.24 kg/ha +1.3%
2006 27.64 kg/ha +1.4%
2007 27.93 kg/ha +1.1%
2008 28.35 kg/ha +1.5%
2009 28.78 kg/ha +1.5%
2010 29.36 kg/ha +2.0%
2011 29.65 kg/ha +1.0%
2012 30.28 kg/ha +2.1%
2013 30.53 kg/ha +0.8%
2014 30.77 kg/ha +0.8%
2015 30.87 kg/ha +0.3%
2016 30.78 kg/ha -0.3%
2017 30.2 kg/ha -1.9%
2018 29.29 kg/ha -3.0%
2019 27.84 kg/ha -4.9%
2020 27.75 kg/ha -0.3%
2021 27.6 kg/ha -0.5%
2022 27.29 kg/ha -1.1%
2023 27.39 kg/ha +0.4%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 27.39 kg/ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.67 kg/ha, 3.2× the median. (51 countries reporting)
  • China's 27.39 kg/ha is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 7.1 kg/ha, 3.9× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 4.81 kg/ha 3.09 kg/ha 6.37 kg/ha 9
1970s 10.03 kg/ha 7.06 kg/ha 15.51 kg/ha 10
1980s 17.15 kg/ha 15.26 kg/ha 19.46 kg/ha 10
1990s 22.6 kg/ha 19.57 kg/ha 26.39 kg/ha 10
2000s 26.71 kg/ha 24 kg/ha 28.78 kg/ha 10
2010s 29.96 kg/ha 27.84 kg/ha 30.87 kg/ha 10
2020s 27.51 kg/ha 27.29 kg/ha 27.75 kg/ha 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 22 Cabo Verde 4.67 kg/ha compare
  2. 22 Switzerland 30.55 kg/ha compare
  3. 23 China, Taiwan Province of 28.05 kg/ha compare
  4. 24 Malta 27.74 kg/ha compare
  5. 26 China, mainland 27.38 kg/ha compare
  6. 27 Norway 24.76 kg/ha compare
  7. 28 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 24.15 kg/ha compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More environment data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China?
Leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China was 27.39 kg/ha in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 30.87 kg/ha in 2015.
What is the lowest leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 3.09 kg/ha in 1961.
How does China rank for leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area?
China ranks 25th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
Is leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.3%. 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 Leaching — Cropland nitrogen per unit area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Leaching — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/leaching-cropland-nitrogen-per-unit-area/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Leaching — Cropland nitrogen per unit area
Unit
kg/ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
233 places, 13,500 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

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 (%).