Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied in South Africa

South Africa: Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied was 34.67 kg per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
34.67 kg per square kilometre
Change on year
down 22.3%
World rank
86th
of 176 countries
All-time high
51.01 kg per square kilometre
in 2021
All-time low
4.49 kg per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied in South Africa, 1961–2023

01020304050196119922023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in kg per square kilometre.

Analysis

The most recent figure for nutrient nitrogen n (total) — nitrogen fertilizer content applied in South Africa is 34.67 kg per square kilometre, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.3% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nutrient nitrogen n (total) — nitrogen fertilizer content applied in South Africa peaked at 51.01 kg per square kilometre in 2021 and was at its lowest, 4.49 kg per square kilometre, in 1961.

South Africa ranks 86th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied that volatilises, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961 to 2023.
Year kg per square kilometre Change
1961 4.49 kg per square kilometre
1962 5.83 kg per square kilometre +29.8%
1963 7.01 kg per square kilometre +20.3%
1964 7.67 kg per square kilometre +9.5%
1965 8.12 kg per square kilometre +5.8%
1966 8.07 kg per square kilometre -0.6%
1967 10.8 kg per square kilometre +33.8%
1968 11.86 kg per square kilometre +9.8%
1969 12.37 kg per square kilometre +4.2%
1970 14.89 kg per square kilometre +20.4%
1971 17.18 kg per square kilometre +15.4%
1972 20.86 kg per square kilometre +21.4%
1973 19.05 kg per square kilometre -8.7%
1974 18.97 kg per square kilometre -0.4%
1975 23.52 kg per square kilometre +24.0%
1976 26.04 kg per square kilometre +10.7%
1977 28.28 kg per square kilometre +8.6%
1978 31.23 kg per square kilometre +10.5%
1979 33 kg per square kilometre +5.6%
1980 38.45 kg per square kilometre +16.5%
1981 43.57 kg per square kilometre +13.3%
1982 39.23 kg per square kilometre -10.0%
1983 30.33 kg per square kilometre -22.7%
1984 33.72 kg per square kilometre +11.2%
1985 31.24 kg per square kilometre -7.4%
1986 30.74 kg per square kilometre -1.6%
1987 27.05 kg per square kilometre -12.0%
1988 31.4 kg per square kilometre +16.0%
1989 30.93 kg per square kilometre -1.5%
1990 31.13 kg per square kilometre +0.6%
1991 29.52 kg per square kilometre -5.2%
1992 29.92 kg per square kilometre +1.4%
1993 33.93 kg per square kilometre +13.4%
1994 30.92 kg per square kilometre -8.9%
1995 31.82 kg per square kilometre +2.9%
1996 33.39 kg per square kilometre +4.9%
1997 33.39 kg per square kilometre +0.0%
1998 33.47 kg per square kilometre +0.2%
1999 34.05 kg per square kilometre +1.7%
2000 34.28 kg per square kilometre +0.7%
2001 32.4 kg per square kilometre -5.5%
2002 39.33 kg per square kilometre +21.4%
2003 34.69 kg per square kilometre -11.8%
2004 35.25 kg per square kilometre +1.6%
2005 28.63 kg per square kilometre -18.8%
2006 35.34 kg per square kilometre +23.5%
2007 36.23 kg per square kilometre +2.5%
2008 34.96 kg per square kilometre -3.5%
2009 34.13 kg per square kilometre -2.4%
2010 32.56 kg per square kilometre -4.6%
2011 34.54 kg per square kilometre +6.1%
2012 35.03 kg per square kilometre +1.4%
2013 33.3 kg per square kilometre -4.9%
2014 32.56 kg per square kilometre -2.2%
2015 29.43 kg per square kilometre -9.6%
2016 26.96 kg per square kilometre -8.4%
2017 38.74 kg per square kilometre +43.7%
2018 41.87 kg per square kilometre +8.1%
2019 44.12 kg per square kilometre +5.4%
2020 48.5 kg per square kilometre +9.9%
2021 51.01 kg per square kilometre +5.2%
2022 44.65 kg per square kilometre -12.5%
2023 34.67 kg per square kilometre -22.3%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 34.67 kg per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 43.17 kg per square kilometre, 80% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 34.67 kg per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7.01 kg per square kilometre, 4.9× the median. (44 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 8.47 kg per square kilometre 4.49 kg per square kilometre 12.37 kg per square kilometre 9
1970s 23.3 kg per square kilometre 14.89 kg per square kilometre 33 kg per square kilometre 10
1980s 33.67 kg per square kilometre 27.05 kg per square kilometre 43.57 kg per square kilometre 10
1990s 32.15 kg per square kilometre 29.52 kg per square kilometre 34.05 kg per square kilometre 10
2000s 34.52 kg per square kilometre 28.63 kg per square kilometre 39.33 kg per square kilometre 10
2010s 34.91 kg per square kilometre 26.96 kg per square kilometre 44.12 kg per square kilometre 10
2020s 44.71 kg per square kilometre 34.67 kg per square kilometre 51.01 kg per square kilometre 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 83 Iraq 39.1 kg per square kilometre compare
  2. 84 Colombia 38.41 kg per square kilometre compare
  3. 85 Canada 35.45 kg per square kilometre compare
  4. 87 Ghana 34.67 kg per square kilometre compare
  5. 88 Paraguay 33.97 kg per square kilometre compare
  6. 89 Ecuador 33.51 kg per square kilometre compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More climate change data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is nutrient nitrogen n (total) — nitrogen fertilizer content applied in South Africa?
Nutrient nitrogen n (total) — nitrogen fertilizer content applied in South Africa was 34.67 kg per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest nutrient nitrogen n (total) — nitrogen fertilizer content applied recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 51.01 kg per square kilometre in 2021.
What is the lowest nutrient nitrogen n (total) — nitrogen fertilizer content applied recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 4.49 kg per square kilometre in 1961.
How does South Africa rank for nutrient nitrogen n (total) — nitrogen fertilizer content applied?
South Africa ranks 86th out of 176 countries with data for 2023.
Is nutrient nitrogen n (total) — nitrogen fertilizer content applied rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied that volatilises, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/nutrient-nitrogen-n-total-nitrogen-fertilizer-content-applied-that-volatilises-per-square/south-africa/

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<a href="https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/nutrient-nitrogen-n-total-nitrogen-fertilizer-content-applied-that-volatilises-per-square/south-africa/">Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

How this figure is calculated

Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied that volatilises divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied that volatilises ÷ Land area (sq. km)

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied that volatilises, per square kilometre
Unit
kg per square kilometre
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
178 places, 9,865 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied that volatilises divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.