Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency in China

China: Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency was 57 % in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
57 %
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
114th
of 186 countries
All-time high
135.2 %
in 1962
All-time low
37.06 %
in 2010
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency in China, 1961–2023

406080100120140196119922023

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency in China stood at 57 %.

That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 41.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency in China peaked at 135.2 % in 1962 and was at its lowest, 37.06 %, in 2010.

China ranks 114th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.

Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency in China, year by year

Annual values for Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency in China, 1961 to 2023.
Year % Change
1961 121.57 % —
1962 135.2 % +11.2%
1963 128.13 % -5.2%
1964 117.88 % -8.0%
1965 98.63 % -16.3%
1966 91.04 % -7.7%
1967 103.53 % +13.7%
1968 111.06 % +7.3%
1969 95.14 % -14.3%
1970 98.3 % +3.3%
1971 90.42 % -8.0%
1972 77.52 % -14.3%
1973 72.63 % -6.3%
1974 79.72 % +9.8%
1975 78.86 % -1.1%
1976 80.19 % +1.7%
1977 70.99 % -11.5%
1978 95.27 % +34.2%
1979 78.07 % -18.0%
1980 64.05 % -18.0%
1981 63.77 % -0.4%
1982 65.4 % +2.6%
1983 64.02 % -2.1%
1984 69.03 % +7.8%
1985 76.89 % +11.4%
1986 76.02 % -1.1%
1987 60.49 % -20.4%
1988 53.81 % -11.0%
1989 53.13 % -1.2%
1990 54.2 % +2.0%
1991 45.86 % -15.4%
1992 47.46 % +3.5%
1993 56.74 % +19.5%
1994 45.88 % -19.1%
1995 41.03 % -10.6%
1996 45.71 % +11.4%
1997 42.65 % -6.7%
1998 42.68 % +0.1%
1999 44.16 % +3.5%
2000 43.44 % -1.6%
2001 42.88 % -1.3%
2002 39.31 % -8.3%
2003 39.04 % -0.7%
2004 39.57 % +1.3%
2005 39.15 % -1.1%
2006 39.47 % +0.8%
2007 43.11 % +9.2%
2008 46.49 % +7.9%
2009 39.24 % -15.6%
2010 37.06 % -5.5%
2011 39.73 % +7.2%
2012 39.37 % -0.9%
2013 40.35 % +2.5%
2014 40.67 % +0.8%
2015 45.45 % +11.7%
2016 46.91 % +3.2%
2017 48.92 % +4.3%
2018 49.96 % +2.1%
2019 55.01 % +10.1%
2020 53.91 % -2.0%
2021 53.99 % +0.2%
2022 56.63 % +4.9%
2023 57 % +0.7%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 57 % is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 67.89 %, 84% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
  • China's 57 % is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 83.12 %, 69% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 111.35 % 91.04 % 135.2 % 9
1970s 82.2 % 70.99 % 98.3 % 10
1980s 64.66 % 53.13 % 76.89 % 10
1990s 46.64 % 41.03 % 56.74 % 10
2000s 41.17 % 39.04 % 46.49 % 10
2010s 44.34 % 37.06 % 55.01 % 10
2020s 55.38 % 53.91 % 57 % 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 111 Finland 59.92 % compare
  2. 112 Ecuador 58.78 % compare
  3. 113 Haiti 58.61 % compare
  4. 115 India 56.13 % compare
  5. 116 Greece 55.92 % compare
  6. 117 Uzbekistan 54.49 % compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More environment data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency in China?
Nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency in China was 57 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 135.2 % in 1962.
What is the lowest nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 37.06 % in 2010.
How does China rank for nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency?
China ranks 114th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
Is nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 41.3%. 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 phosphorus use efficiency. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency in China. 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-use-efficiency/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency
Unit
%
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 (%).