Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, mainland

China, mainland: Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area was 16.57 kg/ha in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
16.57 kg/ha
Change on year
down 5.6%
World rank
30th
of 186 countries
All-time high
36.25 kg/ha
in 2010
All-time low
-1.5 kg/ha
in 1962
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, mainland, 1961–2023

010203040196119922023

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/ha.

Analysis

The most recent figure for nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, mainland is 16.57 kg/ha, measured in 2023.

The figure is down 5.6% on the previous year and down 49.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, mainland peaked at 36.25 kg/ha in 2010 and was at its lowest, -1.5 kg/ha, in 1962.

China, mainland ranks 30th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, mainland, year by year

Annual values for Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, mainland, 1961 to 2023.
Year kg/ha Change
1961 -0.8882 kg/ha —
1962 -1.5 kg/ha +69.0%
1963 -1.3 kg/ha -13.2%
1964 -0.9152 kg/ha -29.8%
1965 0.3013 kg/ha -132.9%
1966 1.06 kg/ha +252.6%
1967 -0.1085 kg/ha -110.2%
1968 -0.6608 kg/ha +509.0%
1969 0.6465 kg/ha -197.8%
1970 0.3651 kg/ha -43.5%
1971 1.27 kg/ha +247.7%
1972 2.99 kg/ha +135.4%
1973 3.93 kg/ha +31.4%
1974 2.5 kg/ha -36.3%
1975 2.85 kg/ha +14.0%
1976 2.62 kg/ha -8.3%
1977 4.4 kg/ha +68.3%
1978 0.7986 kg/ha -81.9%
1979 3.4 kg/ha +326.2%
1980 6.94 kg/ha +103.8%
1981 7.04 kg/ha +1.5%
1982 7.67 kg/ha +8.9%
1983 8.44 kg/ha +10.0%
1984 6.89 kg/ha -18.3%
1985 4.07 kg/ha -41.0%
1986 4.29 kg/ha +5.4%
1987 9.02 kg/ha +110.5%
1988 11.54 kg/ha +27.8%
1989 11.88 kg/ha +3.0%
1990 12.43 kg/ha +4.6%
1991 17.29 kg/ha +39.1%
1992 16.44 kg/ha -4.9%
1993 11.79 kg/ha -28.3%
1994 18.18 kg/ha +54.1%
1995 23.29 kg/ha +28.1%
1996 20.37 kg/ha -12.5%
1997 23.16 kg/ha +13.7%
1998 23.66 kg/ha +2.1%
1999 22.28 kg/ha -5.8%
2000 22.05 kg/ha -1.0%
2001 22.61 kg/ha +2.6%
2002 26.82 kg/ha +18.6%
2003 25.25 kg/ha -5.9%
2004 27.3 kg/ha +8.1%
2005 29.52 kg/ha +8.1%
2006 30.21 kg/ha +2.3%
2007 24.28 kg/ha -19.6%
2008 24.89 kg/ha +2.5%
2009 31.74 kg/ha +27.5%
2010 36.25 kg/ha +14.2%
2011 33.25 kg/ha -8.3%
2012 33.36 kg/ha +0.3%
2013 33.07 kg/ha -0.9%
2014 31.63 kg/ha -4.4%
2015 28.34 kg/ha -10.4%
2016 28.05 kg/ha -1.0%
2017 26.01 kg/ha -7.2%
2018 23 kg/ha -11.6%
2019 19.68 kg/ha -14.4%
2020 19.78 kg/ha +0.5%
2021 19.45 kg/ha -1.7%
2022 17.55 kg/ha -9.8%
2023 16.57 kg/ha -5.6%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, mainland 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.

YearChange FromTo
1968 -509.0% -0.1085 kg/ha -0.6608 kg/ha
1979 +326.2% 0.7986 kg/ha 3.4 kg/ha
1966 +252.6% 0.3013 kg/ha 1.06 kg/ha
1971 +247.7% 0.3651 kg/ha 1.27 kg/ha
1969 +197.8% -0.6608 kg/ha 0.6465 kg/ha
1972 +135.4% 1.27 kg/ha 2.99 kg/ha

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s -0.3741 kg/ha -1.5 kg/ha 1.06 kg/ha 9
1970s 2.51 kg/ha 0.3651 kg/ha 4.4 kg/ha 10
1980s 7.78 kg/ha 4.07 kg/ha 11.88 kg/ha 10
1990s 18.89 kg/ha 11.79 kg/ha 23.66 kg/ha 10
2000s 26.47 kg/ha 22.05 kg/ha 31.74 kg/ha 10
2010s 29.27 kg/ha 19.68 kg/ha 36.25 kg/ha 10
2020s 18.34 kg/ha 16.57 kg/ha 19.78 kg/ha 4

Countries ranked near China, mainland

  1. 27 Belgium 19.25 kg/ha compare
  2. 27 Côte d'Ivoire -1.57 kg/ha compare
  3. 28 Slovenia 18.37 kg/ha compare
  4. 29 Seychelles 17.96 kg/ha compare
  5. 31 Iceland 16.36 kg/ha compare
  6. 32 Uzbekistan 16.05 kg/ha compare
  7. 33 Costa Rica 15.57 kg/ha compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More environment data for China, mainland

All data for China, mainland →

Frequently asked questions

What is nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, mainland?
Nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, mainland was 16.57 kg/ha in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area recorded in China, mainland?
The highest recorded value was 36.25 kg/ha in 2010.
What is the lowest nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area recorded in China, mainland?
The lowest recorded value was -1.5 kg/ha in 1962.
How does China, mainland rank for nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area?
China, mainland ranks 30th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
Is nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area rising or falling in China, mainland?
Over the last ten years it is down 49.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China, mainland data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, mainland. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/nutrient-balance-cropland-phosphorus-per-unit-area/china-mainland/

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About this data

Indicator
Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area
Unit
kg/ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
233 places, 13,500 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

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 (%).