Volatilisation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China
China: Volatilisation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area was 69.91 kg/ha in 2023. ▲ Rising
Volatilisation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/ha.
Analysis
In 2023, volatilisation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China stood at 69.91 kg/ha.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, volatilisation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China peaked at 81.56 kg/ha in 2015 and was at its lowest, 5.42 kg/ha, in 1961.
That places China 16th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Volatilisation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in China, year by year
| Year | kg/ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.42 kg/ha | — |
| 1962 | 6.07 kg/ha | +12.2% |
| 1963 | 6.86 kg/ha | +12.9% |
| 1964 | 8.15 kg/ha | +18.8% |
| 1965 | 10.17 kg/ha | +24.9% |
| 1966 | 12.94 kg/ha | +27.2% |
| 1967 | 11.3 kg/ha | -12.7% |
| 1968 | 11.97 kg/ha | +5.9% |
| 1969 | 13.4 kg/ha | +11.9% |
| 1970 | 15.52 kg/ha | +15.9% |
| 1971 | 15.99 kg/ha | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 17.98 kg/ha | +12.4% |
| 1973 | 19.96 kg/ha | +11.0% |
| 1974 | 18.1 kg/ha | -9.3% |
| 1975 | 21.94 kg/ha | +21.2% |
| 1976 | 21.34 kg/ha | -2.7% |
| 1977 | 28.27 kg/ha | +32.5% |
| 1978 | 34.95 kg/ha | +23.6% |
| 1979 | 39.19 kg/ha | +12.1% |
| 1980 | 43.95 kg/ha | +12.1% |
| 1981 | 41.83 kg/ha | -4.8% |
| 1982 | 41.98 kg/ha | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 43.9 kg/ha | +4.6% |
| 1984 | 45.05 kg/ha | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 39.52 kg/ha | -12.3% |
| 1986 | 38.87 kg/ha | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 46.59 kg/ha | +19.8% |
| 1988 | 50.3 kg/ha | +8.0% |
| 1989 | 50.85 kg/ha | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 52.05 kg/ha | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 52.92 kg/ha | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 54.66 kg/ha | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 49.99 kg/ha | -8.5% |
| 1994 | 53.12 kg/ha | +6.3% |
| 1995 | 64.36 kg/ha | +21.2% |
| 1996 | 68.55 kg/ha | +6.5% |
| 1997 | 62.26 kg/ha | -9.2% |
| 1998 | 62.26 kg/ha | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 65.62 kg/ha | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 61.36 kg/ha | -6.5% |
| 2001 | 61.63 kg/ha | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 67.9 kg/ha | +10.2% |
| 2003 | 67.8 kg/ha | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 70.09 kg/ha | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 70.93 kg/ha | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 72.06 kg/ha | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 73.18 kg/ha | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 74.11 kg/ha | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 75.25 kg/ha | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 76.94 kg/ha | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 78.22 kg/ha | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 79.92 kg/ha | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 80.67 kg/ha | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 81.43 kg/ha | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 81.56 kg/ha | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 81.16 kg/ha | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 79.52 kg/ha | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 76.72 kg/ha | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 73.09 kg/ha | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 71.83 kg/ha | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 70.88 kg/ha | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 69.63 kg/ha | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 69.91 kg/ha | +0.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 69.91 kg/ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.91 kg/ha, 3.7× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- China's 69.91 kg/ha is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 17.79 kg/ha, 3.9× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.59 kg/ha | 5.42 kg/ha | 13.4 kg/ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 23.32 kg/ha | 15.52 kg/ha | 39.19 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 44.28 kg/ha | 38.87 kg/ha | 50.85 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 58.58 kg/ha | 49.99 kg/ha | 68.55 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.43 kg/ha | 61.36 kg/ha | 75.25 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.92 kg/ha | 73.09 kg/ha | 81.56 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.56 kg/ha | 69.63 kg/ha | 71.83 kg/ha | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 13 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 6.54 kg/ha compare
- 13 Ireland 80.16 kg/ha compare
- 14 Costa Rica 71.59 kg/ha compare
- 14 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 5.36 kg/ha compare
- 15 China, mainland 69.93 kg/ha compare
- 15 United Republic of Tanzania 5.33 kg/ha compare
- 16 Syrian Arab Republic 3.51 kg/ha compare
- 17 Republic of Korea 68.5 kg/ha compare
- 18 Barbados 68.25 kg/ha compare
- 18 Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.8998 kg/ha compare
- 19 Netherlands (Kingdom of the) 66.19 kg/ha compare
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 volatilisation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China?
- Volatilisation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in China was 69.91 kg/ha in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest volatilisation — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 81.56 kg/ha in 2015.
- What is the lowest volatilisation — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.42 kg/ha in 1961.
- How does China rank for volatilisation — cropland nitrogen per unit area?
- China ranks 16th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is volatilisation — cropland nitrogen per unit area rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Volatilisation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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 (%).