Mineral fertilizers — Cropland nitrogen in South Africa
South Africa: Mineral fertilizers — Cropland nitrogen was 527,012 t in 2023. ▲ Rising
Mineral fertilizers — Cropland nitrogen in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 527,012 t for mineral fertilizers — cropland nitrogen in 2023.
The figure is down 9.3% on the previous year and up 33.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mineral fertilizers — cropland nitrogen in South Africa peaked at 679,247 t in 2021 and was at its lowest, 41,659 t, in 1961.
That places South Africa 27th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Mineral fertilizers — Cropland nitrogen in South Africa, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 41,659 t | — |
| 1962 | 63,624 t | +52.7% |
| 1963 | 76,500 t | +20.2% |
| 1964 | 83,790 t | +9.5% |
| 1965 | 88,650 t | +5.8% |
| 1966 | 88,110 t | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 117,900 t | +33.8% |
| 1968 | 129,510 t | +9.8% |
| 1969 | 135,000 t | +4.2% |
| 1970 | 162,495 t | +20.4% |
| 1971 | 187,560 t | +15.4% |
| 1972 | 217,575 t | +16.0% |
| 1973 | 207,945 t | -4.4% |
| 1974 | 217,464 t | +4.6% |
| 1975 | 259,117 t | +19.2% |
| 1976 | 284,463 t | +9.8% |
| 1977 | 308,836 t | +8.6% |
| 1978 | 341,055 t | +10.4% |
| 1979 | 360,129 t | +5.6% |
| 1980 | 419,663 t | +16.5% |
| 1981 | 475,591 t | +13.3% |
| 1982 | 428,310 t | -9.9% |
| 1983 | 331,110 t | -22.7% |
| 1984 | 368,190 t | +11.2% |
| 1985 | 341,100 t | -7.4% |
| 1986 | 335,610 t | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 295,380 t | -12.0% |
| 1988 | 342,753 t | +16.0% |
| 1989 | 337,694 t | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 339,840 t | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 322,290 t | -5.2% |
| 1992 | 326,700 t | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 370,396 t | +13.4% |
| 1994 | 337,545 t | -8.9% |
| 1995 | 347,400 t | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 364,500 t | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 364,950 t | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 369,450 t | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 371,700 t | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 374,310 t | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 353,700 t | -5.5% |
| 2002 | 429,332 t | +21.4% |
| 2003 | 378,822 t | -11.8% |
| 2004 | 385,007 t | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 312,507 t | -18.8% |
| 2006 | 385,974 t | +23.5% |
| 2007 | 395,766 t | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 381,655 t | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 372,600 t | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 355,500 t | -4.6% |
| 2011 | 377,100 t | +6.1% |
| 2012 | 382,500 t | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 393,660 t | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 460,170 t | +16.9% |
| 2015 | 363,960 t | -20.9% |
| 2016 | 395,325 t | +8.6% |
| 2017 | 544,275 t | +37.7% |
| 2018 | 512,249 t | -5.9% |
| 2019 | 485,778 t | -5.2% |
| 2020 | 538,063 t | +10.8% |
| 2021 | 679,247 t | +26.2% |
| 2022 | 580,982 t | -14.5% |
| 2023 | 527,012 t | -9.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 91,638 t | 41,659 t | 135,000 t | 9 |
| 1970s | 254,664 t | 162,495 t | 360,129 t | 10 |
| 1980s | 367,540 t | 295,380 t | 475,591 t | 10 |
| 1990s | 351,477 t | 322,290 t | 371,700 t | 10 |
| 2000s | 376,967 t | 312,507 t | 429,332 t | 10 |
| 2010s | 427,052 t | 355,500 t | 544,275 t | 10 |
| 2020s | 581,326 t | 527,012 t | 679,247 t | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More environment data for South Africa
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Other paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 9.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.0074 t per person (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate -4.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard — Import value, per capita 0.0081 1000 USD per person (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import -37.67 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mineral fertilizers — cropland nitrogen in South Africa?
- Mineral fertilizers — cropland nitrogen in South Africa was 527,012 t in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest mineral fertilizers — cropland nitrogen recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 679,247 t in 2021.
- What is the lowest mineral fertilizers — cropland nitrogen recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 41,659 t in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for mineral fertilizers — cropland nitrogen?
- South Africa ranks 27th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is mineral fertilizers — cropland nitrogen rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.9%. 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 Mineral fertilizers — Cropland nitrogen. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
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 (%).