Mineral fertilizers — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China
China: Mineral fertilizers — Cropland phosphorus per unit area was 35.3 kg/ha in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Mineral fertilizers — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/ha.
Analysis
In 2023, mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area in China stood at 35.3 kg/ha.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 21.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area in China peaked at 45.49 kg/ha in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.5593 kg/ha, in 1961.
China ranks 8th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mineral fertilizers — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, year by year
| Year | kg/ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.5593 kg/ha | — |
| 1962 | 0.5855 kg/ha | +4.7% |
| 1963 | 0.8982 kg/ha | +53.4% |
| 1964 | 1.51 kg/ha | +67.8% |
| 1965 | 2.95 kg/ha | +95.5% |
| 1966 | 4.05 kg/ha | +37.5% |
| 1967 | 2.7 kg/ha | -33.3% |
| 1968 | 1.88 kg/ha | -30.5% |
| 1969 | 3.16 kg/ha | +68.3% |
| 1970 | 3.95 kg/ha | +25.0% |
| 1971 | 4.7 kg/ha | +19.1% |
| 1972 | 5.56 kg/ha | +18.3% |
| 1973 | 7.81 kg/ha | +40.5% |
| 1974 | 6.7 kg/ha | -14.2% |
| 1975 | 7.28 kg/ha | +8.6% |
| 1976 | 6.78 kg/ha | -6.9% |
| 1977 | 8.44 kg/ha | +24.6% |
| 1978 | 5.77 kg/ha | -31.6% |
| 1979 | 9.31 kg/ha | +61.2% |
| 1980 | 12.39 kg/ha | +33.1% |
| 1981 | 13.37 kg/ha | +7.9% |
| 1982 | 14.21 kg/ha | +6.3% |
| 1983 | 15.71 kg/ha | +10.6% |
| 1984 | 14.85 kg/ha | -5.5% |
| 1985 | 10.3 kg/ha | -30.6% |
| 1986 | 10.24 kg/ha | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 15.17 kg/ha | +48.2% |
| 1988 | 17.32 kg/ha | +14.2% |
| 1989 | 17.47 kg/ha | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 19.17 kg/ha | +9.7% |
| 1991 | 23.69 kg/ha | +23.6% |
| 1992 | 22.81 kg/ha | -3.7% |
| 1993 | 18.35 kg/ha | -19.6% |
| 1994 | 24.29 kg/ha | +32.4% |
| 1995 | 29.56 kg/ha | +21.7% |
| 1996 | 26.91 kg/ha | -9.0% |
| 1997 | 30.77 kg/ha | +14.3% |
| 1998 | 31.36 kg/ha | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 29.53 kg/ha | -5.8% |
| 2000 | 28.77 kg/ha | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 29.53 kg/ha | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 33.49 kg/ha | +13.4% |
| 2003 | 32.26 kg/ha | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 35.24 kg/ha | +9.2% |
| 2005 | 36.19 kg/ha | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 37.11 kg/ha | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 33.97 kg/ha | -8.5% |
| 2008 | 32.52 kg/ha | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 39.79 kg/ha | +22.3% |
| 2010 | 43.95 kg/ha | +10.5% |
| 2011 | 43.31 kg/ha | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 45.49 kg/ha | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 45.05 kg/ha | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 45.39 kg/ha | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 42.37 kg/ha | -6.6% |
| 2016 | 40.57 kg/ha | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 39.69 kg/ha | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 39.16 kg/ha | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 37.07 kg/ha | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 36.88 kg/ha | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 36.97 kg/ha | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 35.18 kg/ha | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 35.3 kg/ha | +0.3% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 35.3 kg/ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.79 kg/ha, 6.1× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- China's 35.3 kg/ha is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.04 kg/ha, 8.7× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mineral fertilizers — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | +95.5% | 1.51 kg/ha | 2.95 kg/ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.03 kg/ha | 0.5593 kg/ha | 4.05 kg/ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 6.63 kg/ha | 3.95 kg/ha | 9.31 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.1 kg/ha | 10.24 kg/ha | 17.47 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.64 kg/ha | 18.35 kg/ha | 31.36 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.89 kg/ha | 28.77 kg/ha | 39.79 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.2 kg/ha | 37.07 kg/ha | 45.49 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.08 kg/ha | 35.18 kg/ha | 36.97 kg/ha | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 5 Belgium-Luxembourg 50.39 kg/ha compare
- 5 Lao People's Democratic Republic 4.28 kg/ha compare
- 6 Egypt 38.18 kg/ha compare
- 7 Brazil 37.29 kg/ha compare
- 7 Republic of Moldova 3.49 kg/ha compare
- 8 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 2.64 kg/ha compare
- 9 China, mainland 32 kg/ha compare
- 9 United Republic of Tanzania 2.34 kg/ha compare
- 10 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 1.76 kg/ha compare
- 10 China, Hong Kong SAR 31.97 kg/ha compare
- 11 Syrian Arab Republic 1.6 kg/ha compare
- 11 USSR 28.81 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 mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area in China?
- Mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area in China was 35.3 kg/ha in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 45.49 kg/ha in 2012.
- What is the lowest mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5593 kg/ha in 1961.
- How does China rank for mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area?
- China ranks 8th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Mineral fertilizers — Cropland phosphorus per unit area. 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 (%).