Fertilizer Use Per Hectare of Arable Land

World Development Indicators provides data on fertilizer consumption measured in kilograms per hectare of arable land. It covers nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers, excluding traditional animal and plant manures. The data is compiled by the FAO, primarily using a calendar year basis, though some countries report on a split-year basis.

Use Cases

• Analyze trends in fertilizer consumption per hectare over time for specific countries.
• Compare nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizer use intensity between different regions.
• Model the relationship between fertilizer input per hectare and agricultural yield metrics.
• Assess policy impacts on fertilizer consumption rates using the per-hectare metric.

Strengths

• Data is defined using standardized FAO concepts for arable land and fertilizer nutrients.
• Covers three major fertilizer types: nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate.

Limitations

• Excludes traditional nutrient sources like animal and plant manures.
• Temporal reporting is inconsistent, with some countries using a calendar year and others a split-year basis.
• Specific row counts, time ranges, and geographic coverage details are unavailable.

Provenance

Source

World Bank World Development Indicators, based on FAO data compilation.

Collection Method

Compiled from national reports on fertilizer consumption and arable land area.

Geography

Global country-level coverage.