Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Agricultural Use in New Zealand
New Zealand: Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Agricultural Use was 387,000 t in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Agricultural Use in New Zealand, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 387,000 t for nutrient nitrogen n (total) — agricultural use in 2024.
The figure is up 5.2% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nutrient nitrogen n (total) — agricultural use in New Zealand peaked at 470,000 t in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3,445 t, in 1962.
That places New Zealand 36th out of 213 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Agricultural Use in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4,264 t | — |
| 1962 | 3,445 t | -19.2% |
| 1963 | 4,017 t | +16.6% |
| 1964 | 5,908 t | +47.1% |
| 1965 | 6,560 t | +11.0% |
| 1966 | 6,870 t | +4.7% |
| 1967 | 4,913 t | -28.5% |
| 1968 | 7,915 t | +61.1% |
| 1969 | 9,825 t | +24.1% |
| 1970 | 7,937 t | -19.2% |
| 1971 | 9,893 t | +24.6% |
| 1972 | 31,786 t | +221.3% |
| 1973 | 32,447 t | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 17,842 t | -45.0% |
| 1975 | 10,295 t | -42.3% |
| 1976 | 20,103 t | +95.3% |
| 1977 | 20,231 t | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 24,900 t | +23.1% |
| 1979 | 22,300 t | -10.4% |
| 1980 | 20,300 t | -9.0% |
| 1981 | 21,700 t | +6.9% |
| 1982 | 30,150 t | +38.9% |
| 1983 | 33,141 t | +9.9% |
| 1984 | 40,000 t | +20.7% |
| 1985 | 32,000 t | -20.0% |
| 1986 | 27,000 t | -15.6% |
| 1987 | 36,800 t | +36.3% |
| 1988 | 20,500 t | -44.3% |
| 1989 | 22,200 t | +8.3% |
| 1990 | 45,800 t | +106.3% |
| 1991 | 64,500 t | +40.8% |
| 1992 | 90,300 t | +40.0% |
| 1993 | 105,731 t | +17.1% |
| 1994 | 125,600 t | +18.8% |
| 1995 | 155,500 t | +23.8% |
| 1996 | 140,000 t | -10.0% |
| 1997 | 138,900 t | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 153,500 t | +10.5% |
| 1999 | 180,000 t | +17.3% |
| 2000 | 230,740 t | +28.2% |
| 2001 | 269,000 t | +16.6% |
| 2002 | 279,000 t | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 323,000 t | +15.8% |
| 2004 | 348,000 t | +7.7% |
| 2005 | 355,000 t | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 310,000 t | -12.7% |
| 2007 | 312,000 t | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 328,000 t | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 297,000 t | -9.5% |
| 2010 | 341,000 t | +14.8% |
| 2011 | 367,000 t | +7.6% |
| 2012 | 363,000 t | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 370,000 t | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 405,000 t | +9.5% |
| 2015 | 429,000 t | +5.9% |
| 2016 | 432,000 t | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 443,000 t | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 458,000 t | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 452,000 t | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 470,000 t | +4.0% |
| 2021 | 442,000 t | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 399,000 t | -9.7% |
| 2023 | 368,000 t | -7.8% |
| 2024 | 387,000 t | +5.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 387,000 t is above the median for high income countries, which is 60,859 t, 6.4× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 387,000 t is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 31,843 t, 12.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Agricultural Use in New Zealand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | +221.3% | 9,893 t | 31,786 t |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5,969 t | 3,445 t | 9,825 t | 9 |
| 1970s | 19,773 t | 7,937 t | 32,447 t | 10 |
| 1980s | 28,379 t | 20,300 t | 40,000 t | 10 |
| 1990s | 119,983 t | 45,800 t | 180,000 t | 10 |
| 2000s | 305,174 t | 230,740 t | 355,000 t | 10 |
| 2010s | 406,000 t | 341,000 t | 458,000 t | 10 |
| 2020s | 413,200 t | 368,000 t | 470,000 t | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More environment data for New Zealand
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate -2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 1.63 hectares per person (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.2131 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.69 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.379 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.23 °C (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 33.62 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 11.46 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nutrient nitrogen n (total) — agricultural use in New Zealand?
- Nutrient nitrogen n (total) — agricultural use in New Zealand was 387,000 t in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest nutrient nitrogen n (total) — agricultural use recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 470,000 t in 2020.
- What is the lowest nutrient nitrogen n (total) — agricultural use recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,445 t in 1962.
- How does New Zealand rank for nutrient nitrogen n (total) — agricultural use?
- New Zealand ranks 36th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is nutrient nitrogen n (total) — agricultural use rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Agricultural Use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The Fertilizers by Nutrient dataset contains information on the totals in nutrients for Production, Trade and Agriculture Use of inorganic (chemical or mineral) fertilizers. The data are provided for the three primary plant nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (expressed as P2O5) and potassium (expressed as K2O). Both straight and compound fertilizers are included. Methodological details can be found at: https://files-faostat.fao.org/production/RFN/RFN_EN_README.pdf