Mineral fertilizers — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in South Africa
South Africa: Mineral fertilizers — Cropland phosphorus per unit area was 8.53 kg/ha in 2023. ▼ Falling
Mineral fertilizers — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in South Africa, 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 South Africa stood at 8.53 kg/ha.
That represents a change of down 14.3% on the previous year and up 19.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area in South Africa peaked at 17 kg/ha in 1981 and was at its lowest, 4.34 kg/ha, in 1961.
South Africa ranks 49th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Mineral fertilizers — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in South Africa, year by year
| Year | kg/ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.34 kg/ha | — |
| 1962 | 5.1 kg/ha | +17.5% |
| 1963 | 4.87 kg/ha | -4.5% |
| 1964 | 4.76 kg/ha | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 6.37 kg/ha | +34.0% |
| 1966 | 7.74 kg/ha | +21.5% |
| 1967 | 8.04 kg/ha | +3.9% |
| 1968 | 8.4 kg/ha | +4.5% |
| 1969 | 8.48 kg/ha | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 8.82 kg/ha | +4.0% |
| 1971 | 9.59 kg/ha | +8.8% |
| 1972 | 10.24 kg/ha | +6.8% |
| 1973 | 10.57 kg/ha | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 11.25 kg/ha | +6.5% |
| 1975 | 11.29 kg/ha | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 11.54 kg/ha | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 11.52 kg/ha | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 12.57 kg/ha | +9.2% |
| 1979 | 13.61 kg/ha | +8.3% |
| 1980 | 14.23 kg/ha | +4.5% |
| 1981 | 17 kg/ha | +19.5% |
| 1982 | 15.62 kg/ha | -8.1% |
| 1983 | 12.02 kg/ha | -23.1% |
| 1984 | 12.82 kg/ha | +6.6% |
| 1985 | 11.23 kg/ha | -12.4% |
| 1986 | 10.12 kg/ha | -9.9% |
| 1987 | 8.38 kg/ha | -17.2% |
| 1988 | 9.39 kg/ha | +12.1% |
| 1989 | 8.48 kg/ha | -9.7% |
| 1990 | 8.1 kg/ha | -4.4% |
| 1991 | 7.68 kg/ha | -5.2% |
| 1992 | 7.09 kg/ha | -7.7% |
| 1993 | 8.61 kg/ha | +21.4% |
| 1994 | 7.04 kg/ha | -18.2% |
| 1995 | 6.81 kg/ha | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 7.18 kg/ha | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 6.29 kg/ha | -12.4% |
| 1998 | 6.08 kg/ha | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 6.31 kg/ha | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 5.17 kg/ha | -18.1% |
| 2001 | 6.18 kg/ha | +19.5% |
| 2002 | 6.26 kg/ha | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 5.64 kg/ha | -9.9% |
| 2004 | 6.54 kg/ha | +16.0% |
| 2005 | 4.61 kg/ha | -29.5% |
| 2006 | 6.17 kg/ha | +33.9% |
| 2007 | 5.82 kg/ha | -5.7% |
| 2008 | 5.51 kg/ha | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 5.44 kg/ha | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 5.21 kg/ha | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 5.86 kg/ha | +12.6% |
| 2012 | 6.01 kg/ha | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 7.13 kg/ha | +18.7% |
| 2014 | 9.14 kg/ha | +28.2% |
| 2015 | 9.23 kg/ha | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 8.07 kg/ha | -12.6% |
| 2017 | 8.42 kg/ha | +4.4% |
| 2018 | 10.11 kg/ha | +20.1% |
| 2019 | 10.07 kg/ha | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 9.27 kg/ha | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 10.86 kg/ha | +17.2% |
| 2022 | 9.95 kg/ha | -8.4% |
| 2023 | 8.53 kg/ha | -14.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.45 kg/ha | 4.34 kg/ha | 8.48 kg/ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 11.1 kg/ha | 8.82 kg/ha | 13.61 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.93 kg/ha | 8.38 kg/ha | 17 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.12 kg/ha | 6.08 kg/ha | 8.61 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.73 kg/ha | 4.61 kg/ha | 6.54 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.92 kg/ha | 5.21 kg/ha | 10.11 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.65 kg/ha | 8.53 kg/ha | 10.86 kg/ha | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 46 Latvia 8.9 kg/ha compare
- 47 Australia 8.66 kg/ha compare
- 48 Australia and New Zealand 8.65 kg/ha compare
- 50 Turkmenistan 8.44 kg/ha compare
- 51 Trinidad and Tobago 8.36 kg/ha compare
- 52 Poland 8.32 kg/ha compare
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)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, annual growth rate 42.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, per capita 0.0047 t per person (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import value, annual growth rate 21.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area in South Africa?
- Mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area in South Africa was 8.53 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 17 kg/ha in 1981.
- What is the lowest mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.34 kg/ha in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area?
- South Africa ranks 49th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is mineral fertilizers — cropland phosphorus per unit area rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 phosphorus per unit area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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 (%).