Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen by country
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...
Countries reporting
203
Highest
20.36 million t
China
Lowest
-60,193 t
Ghana
Median
39,950 t
Years covered
63
1961–2023
Data points
13,500
What the numbers show
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen is currently reported for 203 countries. The highest value is 20.36 million t in China; the lowest is -60,193 t in Ghana.
The median across all reporting countries is 39,950 t, and the mean is 558,527 t.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 338.
Over the past decade 113 countries rose and 90 fell. The largest increase was in Algeria (up 1,755.2%), and the largest decrease in Ghana (down 1,535.8%).
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 20.36 million t | 2023 | down 26.2% | volatile |
| 2 | China, mainland | 19.40 million t | 2023 | down 29.2% | volatile |
| 3 | India | 17.23 million t | 2023 | up 13.2% | volatile |
| 3 | Viet Nam | 1.49 million t | 2023 | up 10.0% | volatile |
| 4 | USSR | 12.20 million t | 1991 | down 5.7% | rising |
| 4 | Türkiye | 1.05 million t | 2023 | up 31.0% | volatile |
| 5 | Brazil | 5.32 million t | 2023 | up 56.3% | volatile |
| 5 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 951,791 t | 2023 | up 36.2% | volatile |
| 6 | Pakistan | 4.03 million t | 2023 | up 23.6% | volatile |
| 6 | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 229,476 t | 2023 | down 33.3% | rising |
| 7 | Indonesia | 2.28 million t | 2023 | up 19.8% | volatile |
| 8 | Canada | 1.75 million t | 2023 | up 82.2% | volatile |
| 8 | United Republic of Tanzania | 158,229 t | 2023 | up 16.3% | volatile |
| 9 | Thailand | 1.70 million t | 2023 | up 41.0% | volatile |
| 9 | Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | 154,577 t | 2023 | up 24.1% | volatile |
| 10 | Bangladesh | 1.48 million t | 2023 | up 27.5% | rising |
| 11 | Russian Federation | 1.30 million t | 2023 | up 15.4% | falling |
| 11 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 61,392 t | 2023 | up 90.7% | rising |
| 12 | Argentina | 1.27 million t | 2023 | up 27.6% | volatile |
| 12 | Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 48,887 t | 2023 | down 70.2% | volatile |
| 13 | Mexico | 1.08 million t | 2023 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 13 | Republic of Moldova | 25,134 t | 2023 | up 66.0% | volatile |
| 14 | France | 1.06 million t | 2023 | down 27.8% | falling |
| 14 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 7,189 t | 2023 | up 145.0% | volatile |
| 15 | Spain | 1.04 million t | 2023 | up 4.9% | rising |
| 15 | Micronesia (Federated States of) | -1,111 t | 2023 | down 117.3% | volatile |
| 16 | Uzbekistan | 795,285 t | 2023 | up 51.6% | rising |
| 16 | Polynesia | -1,578 t | 2023 | up 56.3% | volatile |
| 17 | Egypt | 753,541 t | 2023 | up 19.9% | volatile |
| 17 | Syrian Arab Republic | -15,451 t | 2023 | up 54.4% | volatile |
| 18 | Myanmar | 674,856 t | 2023 | up 37.0% | rising |
| 18 | Melanesia | -16,352 t | 2023 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 19 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 666,498 t | 2023 | down 14.8% | falling |
| 20 | Italy | 596,806 t | 2023 | down 8.5% | falling |
| 21 | Belarus | 570,357 t | 2023 | down 7.6% | rising |
| 22 | Poland | 550,167 t | 2023 | down 18.7% | falling |
| 23 | Turkmenistan | 516,470 t | 2023 | up 29.0% | volatile |
| 24 | Germany | 502,889 t | 2023 | down 47.9% | falling |
| 25 | Australia and New Zealand | 492,766 t | 2023 | up 27.9% | volatile |
| 26 | Colombia | 492,044 t | 2023 | up 0.4% | volatile |
| 27 | Australia | 480,744 t | 2023 | up 28.3% | volatile |
| 27 | Caribbean | 35,763 t | 2023 | down 73.0% | volatile |
| 28 | Ethiopia | 460,583 t | 2023 | up 159.7% | rising |
| 28 | Cabo Verde | 2,187 t | 2023 | up 6.9% | volatile |
| 29 | Czechoslovakia | 352,955 t | 1992 | down 52.6% | rising |
| 29 | Côte d'Ivoire | -26,768 t | 2023 | up 12.8% | volatile |
| 30 | Malawi | 314,983 t | 2023 | up 263.2% | volatile |
| 31 | Yugoslav SFR | 309,276 t | 1991 | down 49.6% | rising |
| 32 | Romania | 300,179 t | 2023 | up 13.8% | volatile |
| 33 | South Africa | 297,434 t | 2023 | up 38.8% | rising |
| 34 | Belgium-Luxembourg | 287,264 t | 1999 | down 3.9% | rising |
| 35 | Republic of Korea | 282,235 t | 2023 | down 1.9% | rising |
| 36 | Sudan | 268,673 t | 2023 | up 19.4% | rising |
| 37 | Sudan (former) | 264,535 t | 2011 | up 29.8% | rising |
| 38 | Philippines | 259,128 t | 2023 | up 96.3% | volatile |
| 39 | Uruguay | 248,990 t | 2023 | up 23.4% | volatile |
| 40 | Peru | 244,904 t | 2023 | down 10.4% | volatile |
| 41 | Zambia | 237,627 t | 2023 | up 71.4% | volatile |
| 42 | Japan | 231,421 t | 2023 | down 22.1% | falling |
| 43 | Mongolia | 202,579 t | 2023 | up 69.5% | rising |
| 44 | Iraq | 199,878 t | 2023 | up 162.2% | volatile |
| 45 | Belgium | 199,198 t | 2023 | down 19.1% | falling |
| 46 | Saudi Arabia | 196,865 t | 2023 | up 9.9% | volatile |
| 47 | Denmark | 195,884 t | 2023 | up 26.1% | falling |
| 48 | Bulgaria | 182,942 t | 2023 | up 33.2% | volatile |
| 49 | Chile | 177,784 t | 2023 | up 7.1% | volatile |
| 50 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 164,752 t | 2023 | down 9.6% | falling |
| 51 | Paraguay | 162,284 t | 2023 | up 16.2% | volatile |
| 52 | Ecuador | 158,047 t | 2023 | down 22.4% | volatile |
| 53 | Greece | 156,287 t | 2023 | up 52.0% | falling |
| 54 | Czechia | 155,772 t | 2023 | down 38.0% | falling |
| 55 | Sweden | 155,332 t | 2023 | up 17.1% | falling |
| 56 | Ethiopia PDR | 142,030 t | 1992 | up 43.7% | rising |
| 57 | Kenya | 140,663 t | 2023 | up 10.3% | volatile |
| 58 | China, Taiwan Province of | 137,850 t | 2023 | down 21.2% | flat |
| 59 | Malaysia | 127,657 t | 2023 | down 55.4% | volatile |
| 60 | Morocco | 127,637 t | 2023 | up 95.6% | volatile |
| 61 | Norway | 126,649 t | 2023 | down 4.1% | rising |
| 62 | Cambodia | 126,019 t | 2023 | up 82.2% | rising |
| 63 | Chad | 117,410 t | 2023 | up 34.0% | volatile |
| 64 | Portugal | 110,491 t | 2023 | down 25.1% | falling |
| 65 | Guatemala | 103,867 t | 2023 | down 23.5% | volatile |
| 66 | Nigeria | 102,984 t | 2023 | down 37.0% | volatile |
| 67 | Honduras | 100,363 t | 2023 | up 20.5% | volatile |
| 68 | Mozambique | 96,046 t | 2023 | up 63.0% | volatile |
| 69 | Sri Lanka | 92,830 t | 2023 | up 35.9% | rising |
| 70 | Costa Rica | 87,721 t | 2023 | up 16.9% | rising |
| 71 | Serbia | 86,124 t | 2023 | down 60.7% | volatile |
| 72 | Tajikistan | 84,676 t | 2023 | up 1,127.3% | volatile |
| 73 | Uganda | 84,469 t | 2023 | up 15.0% | volatile |
| 74 | Guinea | 82,902 t | 2023 | up 112.6% | volatile |
| 75 | Ireland | 82,638 t | 2023 | down 6.5% | rising |
| 76 | Croatia | 81,882 t | 2023 | up 11.8% | falling |
| 77 | Lithuania | 81,622 t | 2023 | down 24.1% | falling |
| 78 | Austria | 80,109 t | 2023 | down 27.4% | falling |
| 79 | Nicaragua | 76,211 t | 2023 | up 24.3% | volatile |
| 80 | Zimbabwe | 75,091 t | 2023 | up 100.6% | rising |
| 81 | Finland | 70,942 t | 2023 | up 22.6% | falling |
| 82 | Tunisia | 69,191 t | 2023 | up 16.0% | volatile |
| 83 | Togo | 67,555 t | 2023 | up 105.4% | volatile |
| 84 | Nepal | 66,000 t | 2023 | down 50.4% | rising |
| 85 | Switzerland | 64,402 t | 2023 | down 3.2% | falling |
| 86 | South Sudan | 60,749 t | 2023 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 87 | Kyrgyzstan | 53,277 t | 2023 | up 33.5% | volatile |
| 88 | Slovakia | 50,544 t | 2023 | down 37.8% | rising |
| 89 | Senegal | 47,561 t | 2023 | down 40.8% | rising |
| 90 | Burkina Faso | 44,911 t | 2023 | up 151.3% | volatile |
| 91 | Benin | 43,510 t | 2023 | up 397.7% | volatile |
| 92 | Angola | 43,068 t | 2023 | up 10.8% | volatile |
| 93 | Panama | 41,839 t | 2023 | up 40.7% | rising |
| 94 | Algeria | 39,950 t | 2023 | up 1,755.2% | volatile |
| 95 | Afghanistan | 38,880 t | 2023 | up 910.5% | volatile |
| 96 | Albania | 38,172 t | 2023 | down 18.9% | rising |
| 97 | Madagascar | 37,164 t | 2023 | up 165.9% | rising |
| 98 | Hungary | 37,015 t | 2023 | down 79.3% | volatile |
| 99 | Latvia | 36,252 t | 2023 | down 5.1% | falling |
| 100 | Georgia | 35,757 t | 2023 | up 42.7% | falling |
| 101 | El Salvador | 35,272 t | 2023 | down 15.2% | rising |
| 102 | Estonia | 33,491 t | 2023 | up 14.4% | falling |
| 103 | Central African Republic | 32,113 t | 2023 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 104 | Israel | 31,526 t | 2023 | down 25.3% | rising |
| 105 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 30,423 t | 2023 | down 59.7% | rising |
| 106 | Burundi | 29,492 t | 2023 | up 588.0% | volatile |
| 107 | Namibia | 26,536 t | 2023 | up 104.9% | volatile |
| 108 | Libya | 23,914 t | 2023 | down 21.1% | rising |
| 109 | Jordan | 21,857 t | 2023 | up 34.7% | volatile |
| 110 | Haiti | 20,780 t | 2023 | down 32.8% | rising |
| 111 | Sierra Leone | 20,522 t | 2023 | up 91.0% | volatile |
| 112 | Rwanda | 19,063 t | 2023 | up 151.4% | volatile |
| 113 | Armenia | 18,945 t | 2023 | down 41.3% | volatile |
| 114 | Slovenia | 18,607 t | 2023 | down 9.8% | falling |
| 115 | Botswana | 18,595 t | 2023 | down 24.4% | volatile |
| 116 | Lebanon | 16,170 t | 2023 | down 32.6% | rising |
| 117 | Cuba | 15,931 t | 2023 | down 58.0% | volatile |
| 118 | Guinea-Bissau | 15,606 t | 2023 | up 28.2% | rising |
| 119 | Trinidad and Tobago | 12,963 t | 2023 | down 10.1% | volatile |
| 120 | North Macedonia | 12,906 t | 2023 | down 32.5% | falling |
| 121 | United Arab Emirates | 12,877 t | 2023 | down 30.3% | volatile |
| 122 | New Zealand | 12,021 t | 2023 | up 11.4% | volatile |
| 123 | Gambia | 11,742 t | 2023 | up 57.0% | rising |
| 124 | Azerbaijan | 11,692 t | 2023 | up 193.3% | volatile |
| 125 | Cyprus | 10,675 t | 2023 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 126 | Suriname | 10,641 t | 2023 | up 54.5% | volatile |
| 127 | Iceland | 10,533 t | 2023 | down 12.6% | falling |
| 128 | Liberia | 10,392 t | 2023 | down 11.2% | volatile |
| 129 | Cameroon | 10,247 t | 2023 | down 68.6% | falling |
| 130 | Mauritania | 9,724 t | 2023 | down 13.8% | rising |
| 131 | Belize | 8,462 t | 2023 | up 79.5% | volatile |
| 132 | Kuwait | 8,169 t | 2023 | up 33.7% | volatile |
| 133 | Eritrea | 7,052 t | 2023 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 134 | Gabon | 5,442 t | 2023 | up 95.8% | volatile |
| 135 | Montenegro | 5,258 t | 2023 | down 11.9% | falling |
| 136 | Oman | 5,060 t | 2023 | down 46.9% | volatile |
| 137 | Qatar | 4,913 t | 2023 | up 99.6% | volatile |
| 138 | Jamaica | 4,780 t | 2023 | up 18.7% | volatile |
| 139 | Brunei Darussalam | 4,765 t | 2023 | up 12.2% | volatile |
| 140 | Guyana | 4,553 t | 2023 | down 59.8% | volatile |
| 141 | Puerto Rico | 4,368 t | 2023 | down 35.2% | volatile |
| 142 | Lesotho | 4,243 t | 2023 | down 33.5% | volatile |
| 143 | Luxembourg | 3,698 t | 2023 | down 23.4% | falling |
| 144 | Yemen | 3,283 t | 2023 | down 71.5% | volatile |
| 145 | Congo | 2,328 t | 2023 | down 2.5% | volatile |
| 146 | Bhutan | 2,212 t | 2023 | up 41.1% | rising |
| 147 | China, Hong Kong SAR | 1,788 t | 2023 | down 3.9% | falling |
| 148 | Barbados | 1,614 t | 2023 | down 23.2% | volatile |
| 149 | Fiji | 1,537 t | 2023 | down 1.3% | volatile |
| 150 | Malta | 1,341 t | 2023 | down 6.0% | rising |
| 151 | Guadeloupe | 1,106 t | 2023 | up 12.6% | volatile |
| 152 | New Caledonia | 891.85 t | 2023 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 153 | Djibouti | 820.94 t | 2023 | up 51.6% | falling |
| 154 | Bahamas | 815.53 t | 2023 | down 3.4% | rising |
| 155 | Singapore | 791.23 t | 2023 | down 6.2% | volatile |
| 156 | Sao Tome and Principe | 556.43 t | 2023 | up 465.5% | volatile |
| 157 | Saint Lucia | 434.32 t | 2023 | up 65.9% | volatile |
| 158 | Bahrain | 275.92 t | 2023 | down 92.4% | volatile |
| 159 | Faroe Islands | 236.55 t | 2023 | down 52.5% | falling |
| 160 | Maldives | 224.22 t | 2023 | down 21.5% | volatile |
| 161 | Grenada | 205.67 t | 2023 | up 8.2% | falling |
| 162 | Antigua and Barbuda | 200.09 t | 2023 | down 20.6% | volatile |
| 163 | Cook Islands | 85.08 t | 2023 | down 36.0% | volatile |
| 164 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 80.03 t | 2023 | down 7.8% | volatile |
| 165 | Tuvalu | 77.31 t | 2023 | down 6.4% | volatile |
| 166 | Seychelles | 76.11 t | 2023 | up 52.4% | volatile |
| 167 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 65.73 t | 2023 | up 11.5% | volatile |
| 168 | Dominica | 16.65 t | 2023 | down 95.2% | volatile |
| 169 | Nauru | -16.9 t | 2023 | up 20.2% | falling |
| 170 | Comoros | -135.15 t | 2023 | down 118.2% | volatile |
| 171 | Tonga | -341.74 t | 2023 | up 73.5% | volatile |
| 172 | Equatorial Guinea | -406.53 t | 2023 | down 4.2% | volatile |
| 173 | Samoa | -595.02 t | 2023 | up 66.4% | rising |
| 174 | French Polynesia | -705.1 t | 2023 | down 7.0% | volatile |
| 175 | Mauritius | -2,123 t | 2023 | up 45.1% | volatile |
| 176 | Kiribati | -2,563 t | 2023 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 177 | Solomon Islands | -3,221 t | 2023 | down 32.9% | falling |
| 178 | Vanuatu | -5,255 t | 2023 | down 10.9% | falling |
| 179 | Niger | -9,402 t | 2023 | down 642.2% | volatile |
| 180 | Eswatini | -10,034 t | 2023 | up 13.9% | volatile |
| 181 | Papua New Guinea | -10,304 t | 2023 | up 11.9% | flat |
| 182 | Mali | -13,493 t | 2023 | down 182.7% | volatile |
| 183 | Dominican Republic | -28,675 t | 2023 | down 189.1% | volatile |
| 184 | Kazakhstan | -45,636 t | 2023 | up 48.3% | volatile |
| 185 | Ukraine | -48,596 t | 2023 | down 174.9% | volatile |
| 186 | Ghana | -60,193 t | 2023 | down 1,535.8% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- World 85.33 million t
- Asia 54.78 million t
- Southern Asia 23.89 million t
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 4.80 million t
- Eastern Asia 21.13 million t
- Americas 17.31 million t
- Net Food Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs) 10.87 million t
- Europe 8.84 million t
- South America 8.48 million t
- Middle Africa 217,947 t
- Northern America 7.26 million t
- South-Eastern Asia 6.74 million t
- European Union (27) 5.96 million t
- Small island developing States (SIDS) 62,477 t
- United States of America 5.51 million t
- Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) 4.84 million t
- Africa 3.93 million t
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 3.63 million t
- Eastern Europe 3.12 million t
- Southern Europe 2.18 million t
- Western Europe 2.07 million t
- Eastern Africa 1.74 million t
- Western Asia 1.62 million t
- Central America 1.54 million t
- Northern Europe 1.46 million t
- Central Asia 1.40 million t
- Northern Africa 1.28 million t
- Oceania 470,505 t
- Western Africa 349,743 t
- Southern Africa 336,775 t
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 (%).