Nutrient potash K2O (total) — Agricultural Use in South Africa
South Africa: Nutrient potash K2O (total) — Agricultural Use was 312,403 t in 2024. ▲ Rising
Nutrient potash K2O (total) — Agricultural Use in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
In 2024, nutrient potash k2o (total) — agricultural use in South Africa stood at 312,403 t. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 51.1% on the previous year and up 124.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nutrient potash k2o (total) — agricultural use in South Africa peaked at 312,403 t in 2024 and was at its lowest, 33,428 t, in 1961.
That places South Africa 20th out of 195 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Nutrient potash K2O (total) — Agricultural Use in South Africa, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 33,428 t | — |
| 1962 | 38,969 t | +16.6% |
| 1963 | 45,000 t | +15.5% |
| 1964 | 70,800 t | +57.3% |
| 1965 | 75,600 t | +6.8% |
| 1966 | 85,000 t | +12.4% |
| 1967 | 86,300 t | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 96,100 t | +11.4% |
| 1969 | 89,200 t | -7.2% |
| 1970 | 96,100 t | +7.7% |
| 1971 | 103,000 t | +7.2% |
| 1972 | 116,400 t | +13.0% |
| 1973 | 127,300 t | +9.4% |
| 1974 | 126,859 t | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 127,464 t | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 130,698 t | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 135,263 t | +3.5% |
| 1978 | 130,065 t | -3.8% |
| 1979 | 126,510 t | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 139,659 t | +10.4% |
| 1981 | 157,236 t | +12.6% |
| 1982 | 153,300 t | -2.5% |
| 1983 | 122,626 t | -20.0% |
| 1984 | 140,853 t | +14.9% |
| 1985 | 135,719 t | -3.6% |
| 1986 | 127,303 t | -6.2% |
| 1987 | 109,661 t | -13.9% |
| 1988 | 137,246 t | +25.2% |
| 1989 | 127,823 t | -6.9% |
| 1990 | 136,987 t | +7.2% |
| 1991 | 123,600 t | -9.8% |
| 1992 | 126,400 t | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 130,600 t | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 130,000 t | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 141,000 t | +8.5% |
| 1996 | 143,000 t | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 131,000 t | -8.4% |
| 1998 | 158,800 t | +21.2% |
| 1999 | 136,400 t | -14.1% |
| 2000 | 137,400 t | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 134,000 t | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 136,556 t | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 128,460 t | -5.9% |
| 2004 | 146,347 t | +13.9% |
| 2005 | 116,840 t | -20.2% |
| 2006 | 152,940 t | +30.9% |
| 2007 | 136,884 t | -10.5% |
| 2008 | 111,409 t | -18.6% |
| 2009 | 110,800 t | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 107,000 t | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 121,000 t | +13.1% |
| 2012 | 124,000 t | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 138,000 t | +11.3% |
| 2014 | 138,900 t | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 132,000 t | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 125,000 t | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 135,900 t | +8.7% |
| 2018 | 256,345 t | +88.6% |
| 2019 | 240,885 t | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 255,545 t | +6.1% |
| 2021 | 288,169 t | +12.8% |
| 2022 | 234,477 t | -18.6% |
| 2023 | 206,710 t | -11.8% |
| 2024 | 312,403 t | +51.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 312,403 t is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,250 t, 73.5× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 312,403 t is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3,478 t, 89.8× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nutrient potash K2O (total) — Agricultural Use in South Africa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +88.6% | 135,900 t | 256,345 t |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 68,933 t | 33,428 t | 96,100 t | 9 |
| 1970s | 121,966 t | 96,100 t | 135,263 t | 10 |
| 1980s | 135,143 t | 109,661 t | 157,236 t | 10 |
| 1990s | 135,779 t | 123,600 t | 158,800 t | 10 |
| 2000s | 131,164 t | 110,800 t | 152,940 t | 10 |
| 2010s | 151,903 t | 107,000 t | 256,345 t | 10 |
| 2020s | 259,461 t | 206,710 t | 312,403 t | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 17 Poland 375,704 t compare
- 17 Polynesia 80 t compare
- 18 Micronesia (Federated States of) 0 t compare
- 18 Spain 359,317 t compare
- 18 Micronesia 0 t compare
- 19 Germany 340,278 t compare
- 21 Paraguay 275,921 t compare
- 22 Japan 209,600 t compare
- 23 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 198,000 t compare
More environment data for South Africa
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.59 % 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 0.2953 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nutrient potash k2o (total) — agricultural use in South Africa?
- Nutrient potash k2o (total) — agricultural use in South Africa was 312,403 t in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest nutrient potash k2o (total) — agricultural use recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 312,403 t in 2024.
- What is the lowest nutrient potash k2o (total) — agricultural use recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 33,428 t in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for nutrient potash k2o (total) — agricultural use?
- South Africa ranks 20th out of 195 countries with data for 2024.
- Is nutrient potash k2o (total) — agricultural use rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 124.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Nutrient potash K2O (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