Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Kenya
Kenya: Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area was 18.83 kg/ha in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Kenya, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/ha.
Analysis
In 2023, nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Kenya stood at 18.83 kg/ha.
That represents a change of up 49.4% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Kenya peaked at 23.27 kg/ha in 2017 and was at its lowest, 1.84 kg/ha, in 1980.
That places Kenya 122nd out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Kenya, year by year
| Year | kg/ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.24 kg/ha | — |
| 1962 | 3.82 kg/ha | -10.1% |
| 1963 | 4.07 kg/ha | +6.8% |
| 1964 | 4.89 kg/ha | +20.1% |
| 1965 | 5.62 kg/ha | +14.8% |
| 1966 | 5.91 kg/ha | +5.3% |
| 1967 | 4.62 kg/ha | -21.8% |
| 1968 | 3.08 kg/ha | -33.4% |
| 1969 | 4.1 kg/ha | +33.2% |
| 1970 | 6.39 kg/ha | +55.8% |
| 1971 | 6.18 kg/ha | -3.3% |
| 1972 | 7.03 kg/ha | +13.7% |
| 1973 | 5.57 kg/ha | -20.7% |
| 1974 | 4.55 kg/ha | -18.3% |
| 1975 | 5.32 kg/ha | +17.0% |
| 1976 | 3.21 kg/ha | -39.7% |
| 1977 | 3.84 kg/ha | +19.7% |
| 1978 | 4.83 kg/ha | +25.8% |
| 1979 | 3.59 kg/ha | -25.7% |
| 1980 | 1.84 kg/ha | -48.6% |
| 1981 | 5.22 kg/ha | +182.9% |
| 1982 | 4.23 kg/ha | -18.9% |
| 1983 | 6.66 kg/ha | +57.5% |
| 1984 | 9.12 kg/ha | +36.9% |
| 1985 | 8.38 kg/ha | -8.1% |
| 1986 | 8.62 kg/ha | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 9.91 kg/ha | +15.0% |
| 1988 | 11.65 kg/ha | +17.5% |
| 1989 | 11.67 kg/ha | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 12.23 kg/ha | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 9.89 kg/ha | -19.1% |
| 1992 | 9.71 kg/ha | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 8.46 kg/ha | -12.9% |
| 1994 | 8.95 kg/ha | +5.7% |
| 1995 | 5.55 kg/ha | -38.0% |
| 1996 | 9.24 kg/ha | +66.6% |
| 1997 | 8.8 kg/ha | -4.8% |
| 1998 | 7.28 kg/ha | -17.2% |
| 1999 | 7.86 kg/ha | +8.0% |
| 2000 | 12.66 kg/ha | +61.0% |
| 2001 | 10.59 kg/ha | -16.4% |
| 2002 | 7.49 kg/ha | -29.2% |
| 2003 | 10.08 kg/ha | +34.5% |
| 2004 | 11.16 kg/ha | +10.8% |
| 2005 | 8.57 kg/ha | -23.3% |
| 2006 | 9.26 kg/ha | +8.2% |
| 2007 | 11.45 kg/ha | +23.6% |
| 2008 | 11.05 kg/ha | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 11.96 kg/ha | +8.2% |
| 2010 | 8.79 kg/ha | -26.5% |
| 2011 | 11.98 kg/ha | +36.2% |
| 2012 | 13.19 kg/ha | +10.1% |
| 2013 | 18.12 kg/ha | +37.3% |
| 2014 | 17.1 kg/ha | -5.6% |
| 2015 | 13.48 kg/ha | -21.1% |
| 2016 | 15.82 kg/ha | +17.3% |
| 2017 | 23.27 kg/ha | +47.0% |
| 2018 | 11.45 kg/ha | -50.8% |
| 2019 | 17.5 kg/ha | +52.8% |
| 2020 | 19.34 kg/ha | +10.5% |
| 2021 | 19.41 kg/ha | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 12.6 kg/ha | -35.1% |
| 2023 | 18.83 kg/ha | +49.4% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 18.83 kg/ha is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.65 kg/ha, 1.0× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 18.83 kg/ha is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.16 kg/ha, 1.5× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.48 kg/ha | 3.08 kg/ha | 5.91 kg/ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.05 kg/ha | 3.21 kg/ha | 7.03 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.73 kg/ha | 1.84 kg/ha | 11.67 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.8 kg/ha | 5.55 kg/ha | 12.23 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.43 kg/ha | 7.49 kg/ha | 12.66 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.07 kg/ha | 8.79 kg/ha | 23.27 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.55 kg/ha | 12.6 kg/ha | 19.41 kg/ha | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More environment data for Kenya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.08 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.27 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.12 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.25 % 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 2.87 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Kenya?
- Nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Kenya was 18.83 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 23.27 kg/ha in 2017.
- What is the lowest nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.84 kg/ha in 1980.
- How does Kenya rank for nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area?
- Kenya ranks 122nd out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya 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
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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 (%).