Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus in China
China: Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus was 2.56 million t in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus in China, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus in China is 2.56 million t, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 41.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus in China peaked at 4.62 million t in 2010 and was at its lowest, -171,358 t, in 1962.
China ranks 2nd 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 phosphorus in China, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -107,313 t | — |
| 1962 | -171,358 t | +59.7% |
| 1963 | -155,134 t | -9.5% |
| 1964 | -118,305 t | -23.7% |
| 1965 | 11,631 t | -109.8% |
| 1966 | 88,863 t | +664.0% |
| 1967 | -31,332 t | -135.3% |
| 1968 | -89,329 t | +185.1% |
| 1969 | 45,358 t | -150.8% |
| 1970 | 17,095 t | -62.3% |
| 1971 | 107,631 t | +529.6% |
| 1972 | 282,836 t | +162.8% |
| 1973 | 410,330 t | +45.1% |
| 1974 | 282,265 t | -31.2% |
| 1975 | 305,396 t | +8.2% |
| 1976 | 280,245 t | -8.2% |
| 1977 | 458,608 t | +63.6% |
| 1978 | 62,273 t | -86.4% |
| 1979 | 369,093 t | +492.7% |
| 1980 | 726,847 t | +96.9% |
| 1981 | 767,232 t | +5.6% |
| 1982 | 785,855 t | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 915,766 t | +16.5% |
| 1984 | 792,902 t | -13.4% |
| 1985 | 491,120 t | -38.1% |
| 1986 | 523,509 t | +6.6% |
| 1987 | 1.13 million t | +115.9% |
| 1988 | 1.46 million t | +29.3% |
| 1989 | 1.52 million t | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 1.61 million t | +6.1% |
| 1991 | 2.27 million t | +40.6% |
| 1992 | 2.13 million t | -6.0% |
| 1993 | 1.52 million t | -28.9% |
| 1994 | 2.35 million t | +54.8% |
| 1995 | 3.01 million t | +28.3% |
| 1996 | 2.64 million t | -12.5% |
| 1997 | 3.00 million t | +13.8% |
| 1998 | 3.06 million t | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 2.88 million t | -5.9% |
| 2000 | 2.88 million t | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 2.97 million t | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 3.48 million t | +17.4% |
| 2003 | 3.40 million t | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 3.64 million t | +6.8% |
| 2005 | 3.76 million t | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 3.84 million t | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 3.36 million t | -12.4% |
| 2008 | 3.09 million t | -8.0% |
| 2009 | 4.14 million t | +33.8% |
| 2010 | 4.62 million t | +11.6% |
| 2011 | 4.32 million t | -6.4% |
| 2012 | 4.52 million t | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 4.38 million t | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 4.36 million t | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 3.78 million t | -13.3% |
| 2016 | 3.54 million t | -6.4% |
| 2017 | 3.32 million t | -6.2% |
| 2018 | 3.20 million t | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 2.69 million t | -15.8% |
| 2020 | 2.81 million t | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 2.83 million t | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 2.58 million t | -8.8% |
| 2023 | 2.56 million t | -0.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 2.56 million t is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1,375 t, 1865.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- China's 2.56 million t is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 58.42 t, 43889.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus 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 | +664.0% | 11,631 t | 88,863 t |
| 1971 | +529.6% | 17,095 t | 107,631 t |
| 1979 | +492.7% | 62,273 t | 369,093 t |
| 1968 | -185.1% | -31,332 t | -89,329 t |
| 1972 | +162.8% | 107,631 t | 282,836 t |
| 1969 | +150.8% | -89,329 t | 45,358 t |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -58,546 t | -171,358 t | 88,863 t | 9 |
| 1970s | 257,577 t | 17,095 t | 458,608 t | 10 |
| 1980s | 911,710 t | 491,120 t | 1.52 million t | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.45 million t | 1.52 million t | 3.06 million t | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.46 million t | 2.88 million t | 4.14 million t | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.87 million t | 2.69 million t | 4.62 million t | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.69 million t | 2.56 million t | 2.83 million t | 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 in China?
- Nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus in China was 2.56 million t in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 4.62 million t in 2010.
- What is the lowest nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -171,358 t in 1962.
- How does China rank for nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus?
- China ranks 2nd out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.5%. 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. 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 (%).