Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Germany
Germany: Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area was 42.33 kg/ha in 2023. ▼ Falling
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Germany, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/ha.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Germany is 42.33 kg/ha, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 23.7% on the previous year and down 47.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Germany peaked at 176.08 kg/ha in 1987 and was at its lowest, 34.22 kg/ha, in 2022.
Germany ranks 86th 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.
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Germany, year by year
| Year | kg/ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 91.78 kg/ha | — |
| 1962 | 96.04 kg/ha | +4.6% |
| 1963 | 95.38 kg/ha | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 101.3 kg/ha | +6.2% |
| 1965 | 115.57 kg/ha | +14.1% |
| 1966 | 118.26 kg/ha | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 113.25 kg/ha | -4.2% |
| 1968 | 119.2 kg/ha | +5.3% |
| 1969 | 132.57 kg/ha | +11.2% |
| 1970 | 140.45 kg/ha | +5.9% |
| 1971 | 138.93 kg/ha | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 145.66 kg/ha | +4.8% |
| 1973 | 140.27 kg/ha | -3.7% |
| 1974 | 143.01 kg/ha | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 150.13 kg/ha | +5.0% |
| 1976 | 165.78 kg/ha | +10.4% |
| 1977 | 160.55 kg/ha | -3.2% |
| 1978 | 159.91 kg/ha | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 170.34 kg/ha | +6.5% |
| 1980 | 174.92 kg/ha | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 161.34 kg/ha | -7.8% |
| 1982 | 163.08 kg/ha | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 161.22 kg/ha | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 157.7 kg/ha | -2.2% |
| 1985 | 166.89 kg/ha | +5.8% |
| 1986 | 167.47 kg/ha | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 176.08 kg/ha | +5.1% |
| 1988 | 174.13 kg/ha | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 161.52 kg/ha | -7.2% |
| 1990 | 128.21 kg/ha | -20.6% |
| 1991 | 120.3 kg/ha | -6.2% |
| 1992 | 117.84 kg/ha | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 107.51 kg/ha | -8.8% |
| 1994 | 116.88 kg/ha | +8.7% |
| 1995 | 108.45 kg/ha | -7.2% |
| 1996 | 105.93 kg/ha | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 100.66 kg/ha | -5.0% |
| 1998 | 107.57 kg/ha | +6.9% |
| 1999 | 113.47 kg/ha | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 102.07 kg/ha | -10.0% |
| 2001 | 90.82 kg/ha | -11.0% |
| 2002 | 101.16 kg/ha | +11.4% |
| 2003 | 109.52 kg/ha | +8.3% |
| 2004 | 80.29 kg/ha | -26.7% |
| 2005 | 90.92 kg/ha | +13.2% |
| 2006 | 81.55 kg/ha | -10.3% |
| 2007 | 99 kg/ha | +21.4% |
| 2008 | 67.79 kg/ha | -31.5% |
| 2009 | 65.62 kg/ha | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 91.87 kg/ha | +40.0% |
| 2011 | 88.37 kg/ha | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 82.86 kg/ha | -6.2% |
| 2013 | 79.86 kg/ha | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 79.71 kg/ha | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 82.42 kg/ha | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 85.25 kg/ha | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 73.61 kg/ha | -13.7% |
| 2018 | 71.65 kg/ha | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 63.57 kg/ha | -11.3% |
| 2020 | 62.13 kg/ha | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 43.99 kg/ha | -29.2% |
| 2022 | 34.22 kg/ha | -22.2% |
| 2023 | 42.33 kg/ha | +23.7% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 42.33 kg/ha is below the median for high income countries, which is 61.42 kg/ha, 69% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Germany's 42.33 kg/ha is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 59.9 kg/ha, 71% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 109.26 kg/ha | 91.78 kg/ha | 132.57 kg/ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 151.5 kg/ha | 138.93 kg/ha | 170.34 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 166.43 kg/ha | 157.7 kg/ha | 176.08 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 112.68 kg/ha | 100.66 kg/ha | 128.21 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 88.87 kg/ha | 65.62 kg/ha | 109.52 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.92 kg/ha | 63.57 kg/ha | 91.87 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.67 kg/ha | 34.22 kg/ha | 62.13 kg/ha | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More environment data for Germany
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.36 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.613 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.11 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate -1.16 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.65 % 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 -0.0079 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Germany?
- Nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Germany was 42.33 kg/ha in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 176.08 kg/ha in 1987.
- What is the lowest nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.22 kg/ha in 2022.
- How does Germany rank for nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area?
- Germany ranks 86th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen 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 (%).