Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen in Canada
Canada: Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen was 1.75 million t in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen in Canada, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen in Canada is 1.75 million t, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 28.6% on the previous year and up 82.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen in Canada peaked at 1.79 million t in 2021 and was at its lowest, -194,245 t, in 1963.
Canada ranks 8th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen in Canada, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 106,586 t | — |
| 1962 | -125,805 t | -218.0% |
| 1963 | -194,245 t | +54.4% |
| 1964 | -51,650 t | -73.4% |
| 1965 | -88,173 t | +70.7% |
| 1966 | -167,334 t | +89.8% |
| 1967 | 67,678 t | -140.4% |
| 1968 | -94,450 t | -239.6% |
| 1969 | -121,612 t | +28.8% |
| 1970 | 50,902 t | -141.9% |
| 1971 | -112,105 t | -320.2% |
| 1972 | 48,988 t | -143.7% |
| 1973 | 115,932 t | +136.7% |
| 1974 | 252,294 t | +117.6% |
| 1975 | 133,969 t | -46.9% |
| 1976 | 53,286 t | -60.2% |
| 1977 | 183,399 t | +244.2% |
| 1978 | 240,027 t | +30.9% |
| 1979 | 391,740 t | +63.2% |
| 1980 | 426,551 t | +8.9% |
| 1981 | 283,414 t | -33.6% |
| 1982 | 300,385 t | +6.0% |
| 1983 | 570,736 t | +90.0% |
| 1984 | 719,563 t | +26.1% |
| 1985 | 544,138 t | -24.4% |
| 1986 | 233,878 t | -57.0% |
| 1987 | 402,472 t | +72.1% |
| 1988 | 694,690 t | +72.6% |
| 1989 | 503,769 t | -27.5% |
| 1990 | 290,287 t | -42.4% |
| 1991 | 412,382 t | +42.1% |
| 1992 | 561,831 t | +36.2% |
| 1993 | 579,005 t | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 663,648 t | +14.6% |
| 1995 | 763,385 t | +15.0% |
| 1996 | 720,912 t | -5.6% |
| 1997 | 836,894 t | +16.1% |
| 1998 | 785,392 t | -6.2% |
| 1999 | 734,651 t | -6.5% |
| 2000 | 791,463 t | +7.7% |
| 2001 | 1.05 million t | +32.3% |
| 2002 | 1.21 million t | +15.4% |
| 2003 | 893,146 t | -26.1% |
| 2004 | 751,146 t | -15.9% |
| 2005 | 797,460 t | +6.2% |
| 2006 | 755,267 t | -5.3% |
| 2007 | 1.17 million t | +54.5% |
| 2008 | 781,062 t | -33.1% |
| 2009 | 933,310 t | +19.5% |
| 2010 | 1.15 million t | +22.9% |
| 2011 | 1.34 million t | +16.5% |
| 2012 | 1.55 million t | +15.9% |
| 2013 | 962,205 t | -37.9% |
| 2014 | 1.42 million t | +47.9% |
| 2015 | 1.34 million t | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 1.13 million t | -15.9% |
| 2017 | 1.24 million t | +10.1% |
| 2018 | 1.34 million t | +7.5% |
| 2019 | 1.33 million t | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 1.49 million t | +11.7% |
| 2021 | 1.79 million t | +20.2% |
| 2022 | 1.36 million t | -23.9% |
| 2023 | 1.75 million t | +28.6% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 1.75 million t is above the median for high income countries, which is 41,839 t, 41.9× the median. (57 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | -320.2% | 50,902 t | -112,105 t |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -74,334 t | -194,245 t | 106,586 t | 9 |
| 1970s | 135,843 t | -112,105 t | 391,740 t | 10 |
| 1980s | 467,960 t | 233,878 t | 719,563 t | 10 |
| 1990s | 634,839 t | 290,287 t | 836,894 t | 10 |
| 2000s | 912,453 t | 751,146 t | 1.21 million t | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.28 million t | 962,205 t | 1.55 million t | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.60 million t | 1.36 million t | 1.79 million t | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 5 Brazil 5.32 million t compare
- 5 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 951,791 t compare
- 6 Pakistan 4.03 million t compare
- 6 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 229,476 t compare
- 7 Indonesia 2.28 million t compare
- 8 United Republic of Tanzania 158,229 t compare
- 9 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 154,577 t compare
- 9 Thailand 1.70 million t compare
- 10 Bangladesh 1.48 million t compare
- 11 Lao People's Democratic Republic 61,392 t compare
- 11 Russian Federation 1.30 million t compare
More environment data for Canada
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.76 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.642 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.96 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 2.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.7 % 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 -0.3398 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen in Canada?
- Nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen in Canada was 1.75 million t in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 1.79 million t in 2021.
- What is the lowest nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was -194,245 t in 1963.
- How does Canada rank for nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen?
- Canada ranks 8th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 82.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen. 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 (%).