Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen use efficiency in China
China: Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen use efficiency was 46.19 % in 2023. ▼ Falling
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen use efficiency in China, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen use efficiency in China is 46.19 %, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 30.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen use efficiency in China peaked at 65.89 % in 1967 and was at its lowest, 31.14 %, in 2003.
That places China 106th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 use efficiency in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 59.71 % | — |
| 1962 | 61.29 % | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 64.1 % | +4.6% |
| 1964 | 65.54 % | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 64.1 % | -2.2% |
| 1966 | 61.8 % | -3.6% |
| 1967 | 65.89 % | +6.6% |
| 1968 | 61.3 % | -7.0% |
| 1969 | 57.9 % | -5.5% |
| 1970 | 58.71 % | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 58.36 % | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 52.49 % | -10.1% |
| 1973 | 54.34 % | +3.5% |
| 1974 | 59 % | +8.6% |
| 1975 | 53.49 % | -9.3% |
| 1976 | 51.31 % | -4.1% |
| 1977 | 42.19 % | -17.8% |
| 1978 | 41.33 % | -2.0% |
| 1979 | 39.47 % | -4.5% |
| 1980 | 35.43 % | -10.2% |
| 1981 | 38.29 % | +8.1% |
| 1982 | 40.18 % | +4.9% |
| 1983 | 40.48 % | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 40.66 % | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 40.1 % | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 40.68 % | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 36.06 % | -11.4% |
| 1988 | 33.09 % | -8.2% |
| 1989 | 32.77 % | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 35.26 % | +7.6% |
| 1991 | 34.71 % | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 34.33 % | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 38.09 % | +10.9% |
| 1994 | 36.12 % | -5.2% |
| 1995 | 32.01 % | -11.4% |
| 1996 | 31.83 % | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 34.61 % | +8.7% |
| 1998 | 34.95 % | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 33.43 % | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 34.16 % | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 34.28 % | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 31.87 % | -7.0% |
| 2003 | 31.14 % | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 32.36 % | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 32.36 % | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 32.04 % | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 32.91 % | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 34.91 % | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 33.01 % | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 34.54 % | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 34.85 % | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 35.26 % | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 35.52 % | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 37.63 % | +5.9% |
| 2015 | 38.7 % | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 39.92 % | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 42.93 % | +7.5% |
| 2018 | 43.81 % | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 45.48 % | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 46.01 % | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 47.35 % | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 46.74 % | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 46.19 % | -1.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 46.19 % is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 56.91 %, 81% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- China's 46.19 % is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 74.85 %, 62% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 62.4 % | 57.9 % | 65.89 % | 9 |
| 1970s | 51.07 % | 39.47 % | 59 % | 10 |
| 1980s | 37.77 % | 32.77 % | 40.68 % | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.53 % | 31.83 % | 38.09 % | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.9 % | 31.14 % | 34.91 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.86 % | 34.54 % | 45.48 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.57 % | 46.01 % | 47.35 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 103 Kyrgyzstan 46.33 % compare
- 104 Bosnia and Herzegovina 46.25 % compare
- 105 Peru 46.22 % compare
- 107 Croatia 45.7 % compare
- 108 Sudan 45.68 % compare
- 109 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 45.35 % 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 nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen use efficiency in China?
- Nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen use efficiency in China was 46.19 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen use efficiency recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 65.89 % in 1967.
- What is the lowest nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen use efficiency recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.14 % in 2003.
- How does China rank for nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen use efficiency?
- China ranks 106th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen use efficiency rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen use efficiency. 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 (%).