Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China
China: Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area was 19.97 kg/ha in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China, 1961–2023
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 is 19.97 kg/ha, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 39.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area in China peaked at 34.1 kg/ha in 2010 and was at its lowest, -1.63 kg/ha, in 1962.
China ranks 24th 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, year by year
| Year | kg/ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -1.02 kg/ha | — |
| 1962 | -1.63 kg/ha | +60.1% |
| 1963 | -1.48 kg/ha | -9.3% |
| 1964 | -1.13 kg/ha | -23.6% |
| 1965 | 0.1113 kg/ha | -109.9% |
| 1966 | 0.8535 kg/ha | +666.8% |
| 1967 | -0.3021 kg/ha | -135.4% |
| 1968 | -0.8646 kg/ha | +186.2% |
| 1969 | 0.4407 kg/ha | -151.0% |
| 1970 | 0.1667 kg/ha | -62.2% |
| 1971 | 1.05 kg/ha | +532.0% |
| 1972 | 2.78 kg/ha | +163.8% |
| 1973 | 4.05 kg/ha | +45.6% |
| 1974 | 2.77 kg/ha | -31.6% |
| 1975 | 3.03 kg/ha | +9.7% |
| 1976 | 2.79 kg/ha | -8.1% |
| 1977 | 4.57 kg/ha | +63.8% |
| 1978 | 0.6208 kg/ha | -86.4% |
| 1979 | 3.68 kg/ha | +492.9% |
| 1980 | 7.25 kg/ha | +97.0% |
| 1981 | 7.6 kg/ha | +4.8% |
| 1982 | 7.42 kg/ha | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 8.2 kg/ha | +10.5% |
| 1984 | 6.68 kg/ha | -18.5% |
| 1985 | 3.9 kg/ha | -41.6% |
| 1986 | 4.11 kg/ha | +5.3% |
| 1987 | 8.83 kg/ha | +114.8% |
| 1988 | 11.32 kg/ha | +28.3% |
| 1989 | 11.65 kg/ha | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 12.21 kg/ha | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 17.03 kg/ha | +39.5% |
| 1992 | 16.22 kg/ha | -4.8% |
| 1993 | 11.6 kg/ha | -28.5% |
| 1994 | 17.95 kg/ha | +54.8% |
| 1995 | 23.02 kg/ha | +28.3% |
| 1996 | 20.13 kg/ha | -12.6% |
| 1997 | 22.91 kg/ha | +13.8% |
| 1998 | 23.38 kg/ha | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 21.99 kg/ha | -5.9% |
| 2000 | 22.01 kg/ha | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 22.55 kg/ha | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 26.36 kg/ha | +16.9% |
| 2003 | 25.65 kg/ha | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 27.28 kg/ha | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 28.11 kg/ha | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 28.53 kg/ha | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 24.9 kg/ha | -12.7% |
| 2008 | 22.8 kg/ha | -8.4% |
| 2009 | 30.38 kg/ha | +33.2% |
| 2010 | 34.1 kg/ha | +12.2% |
| 2011 | 32.1 kg/ha | -5.9% |
| 2012 | 33.71 kg/ha | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 32.89 kg/ha | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 32.92 kg/ha | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 28.69 kg/ha | -12.8% |
| 2016 | 27.01 kg/ha | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 25.49 kg/ha | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 24.72 kg/ha | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 20.94 kg/ha | -15.3% |
| 2020 | 21.83 kg/ha | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 22.03 kg/ha | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 20.1 kg/ha | -8.8% |
| 2023 | 19.97 kg/ha | -0.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 19.97 kg/ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.24 kg/ha, 6.2× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- China's 19.97 kg/ha is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.38 kg/ha, 14.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | +666.8% | 0.1113 kg/ha | 0.8535 kg/ha |
| 1971 | +532.0% | 0.1667 kg/ha | 1.05 kg/ha |
| 1979 | +492.9% | 0.6208 kg/ha | 3.68 kg/ha |
| 1968 | -186.2% | -0.3021 kg/ha | -0.8646 kg/ha |
| 1972 | +163.8% | 1.05 kg/ha | 2.78 kg/ha |
| 1969 | +151.0% | -0.8646 kg/ha | 0.4407 kg/ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.558 kg/ha | -1.63 kg/ha | 0.8535 kg/ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.55 kg/ha | 0.1667 kg/ha | 4.57 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.7 kg/ha | 3.9 kg/ha | 11.65 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.64 kg/ha | 11.6 kg/ha | 23.38 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.86 kg/ha | 22.01 kg/ha | 30.38 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.26 kg/ha | 20.94 kg/ha | 34.1 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.98 kg/ha | 19.97 kg/ha | 22.03 kg/ha | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
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 phosphorus per unit area in China?
- Nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area in China was 19.97 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?
- The highest recorded value was 34.1 kg/ha in 2010.
- What is the lowest nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.63 kg/ha in 1962.
- How does China rank for nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area?
- China ranks 24th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus per unit area rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 phosphorus per unit area. 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 (%).