United States: Fertilizer consumption (% of fertilizer production)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, United States' fertilizer consumption (% of fertilizer production) did not change 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 100.79% to 100.79%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.76 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.86 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 27.02 percentage points in 2009 and the biggest yearly fall was 19.85 percentage points in 1986. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 2.18 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 80% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 90.73% for 2027. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2022 to 2024 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 3.31%, against 9.21% for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2024, United States had the 36th highest value of the 75 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to United States in the 2024 ranking

• Pakistan — 33rd of 75: 121.78%
• Viet Nam — 34th of 75: 113.89%
• Spain — 35th of 75: 104.89%
• Italy — 37th of 75: 100.49%
• China — 38th of 75: 95.87%
• Poland — 39th of 75: 88.29%

What this measures

Fertilizer consumption measures the quantity of plant nutrients and is calculated as production plus imports minus exports. Fertilizer products cover nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers (including ground rock phosphate). Traditional nutrients--animal and plant manures--are not included. Because some chemical compounds used for fertilizers have other industrial applications, the consumption data may overstate the quantity available for crops. Fertilizer consumption as a share of production shows the agriculture sector's vulnerability to import and energy price fluctuation. Most fertilizers that are commonly used in agriculture contain the three basic plant nutrients-nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Some fertilizers also contain certain micronutrients such as zinc and other metals that are necessary for plant growth. Materials that are applied to the land primarily to enhance soil characteristics (rather than as plant food) are commonly referred to as soil amendments.

Limitations: The FAO has revised the time series for fertilizer consumption and irrigation for 2002 onward. FAO collects fertilizer statistics for production, imports, exports, and consumption through the new FAO fertilizer resources questionnaire. In the previous release, the data were based on total consumption of fertilizers, but the data in the recent release are based on the nutrients in fertilizers. Some countries compile fertilizer data on a calendar year basis, while others compile on a crop year basis (July-June).

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 64 values

Fertilizer consumption (% of fertilizer production) in nearby economies

• Canada — 30.39% (2024)

More environment data for United States

• Population in largest city — 19.15 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 6.99% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 160.79 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 47.04% (2025)
• Rural population — 67.7 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 19.81% (2025)
• Urban population — 274.09 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 80.19% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 467,617 (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is United States's fertilizer consumption (% of fertilizer production)?

100.79% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1961?

It is up 8.77 percentage points from 92.02% in 1961. The highest value was 135.38% in 2009 and the lowest 73.02% in 1991.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator AG.CON.FERT.PT.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.