Leaching — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in South Africa

South Africa: Leaching — Cropland nitrogen per unit area was 3.78 kg/ha in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
3.78 kg/ha
Change on year
down 18.9%
Rank
26th
of 32 groups
All-time high
5.23 kg/ha
in 2021
All-time low
1.08 kg/ha
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023

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

12345196119922023

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

Analysis

South Africa recorded 3.78 kg/ha for leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.9% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area in South Africa peaked at 5.23 kg/ha in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.08 kg/ha, in 1961.

That places South Africa 26th out of 32 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 1.39 kg/ha 1.08 kg/ha 1.74 kg/ha 9
1970s 2.64 kg/ha 1.94 kg/ha 3.48 kg/ha 10
1980s 3.51 kg/ha 2.9 kg/ha 4.38 kg/ha 10
1990s 3.22 kg/ha 3.09 kg/ha 3.34 kg/ha 10
2000s 3.51 kg/ha 3.02 kg/ha 3.82 kg/ha 10
2010s 3.86 kg/ha 3.16 kg/ha 4.65 kg/ha 10
2020s 4.67 kg/ha 3.78 kg/ha 5.23 kg/ha 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 23 Switzerland 30.55 kg/ha compare
  2. 24 China, Taiwan Province of 28.05 kg/ha compare
  3. 25 Malta 27.74 kg/ha compare
  4. 26 China 27.39 kg/ha compare
  5. 27 China, mainland 27.38 kg/ha compare
  6. 28 Norway 24.76 kg/ha compare
  7. 29 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 24.15 kg/ha compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More environment data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area in South Africa?
Leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area in South Africa was 3.78 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 South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 5.23 kg/ha in 2021.
What is the lowest leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.08 kg/ha in 1961.
How does South Africa rank for leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area?
South Africa ranks 26th out of 32 groups with data for 2023.
Is leaching — cropland nitrogen per unit area rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa 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 South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 15 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/leaching-cropland-nitrogen-per-unit-area/south-africa/

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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 (%).