How have things changed?, per square kilometre in China
China: How have things changed?, per square kilometre was 9.75 metric tons per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
9.75 metric tons per square kilometre
Change on year
up 3.3%
World rank
24th
of 215 countries
All-time high
9.75 metric tons per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
0.393 metric tons per square kilometre
in 1965
Years of data
59
1965–2023
How have things changed?, per square kilometre in China, 1965–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in metric tons per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for how have things changed?, per square kilometre in China is 9.75 metric tons per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 59 years on record.
The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 29.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, how have things changed?, per square kilometre in China peaked at 9.75 metric tons per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.393 metric tons per square kilometre, in 1965.
That places China 24th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
How have things changed?, per square kilometre in China, year by year
| Year | metric tons per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0.393 metric tons per square kilometre | — |
| 1966 | 0.4074 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1967 | 0.4074 metric tons per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.4188 metric tons per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 0.4332 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 0.4229 metric tons per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 1971 | 0.4787 metric tons per square kilometre | +13.2% |
| 1972 | 0.5322 metric tons per square kilometre | +11.2% |
| 1973 | 0.5243 metric tons per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 0.571 metric tons per square kilometre | +8.9% |
| 1975 | 0.6023 metric tons per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1976 | 0.6075 metric tons per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 0.6829 metric tons per square kilometre | +12.4% |
| 1978 | 0.6858 metric tons per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 0.6363 metric tons per square kilometre | -7.2% |
| 1980 | 0.666 metric tons per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1981 | 0.6576 metric tons per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 0.7208 metric tons per square kilometre | +9.6% |
| 1983 | 0.7805 metric tons per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 1984 | 0.8747 metric tons per square kilometre | +12.1% |
| 1985 | 0.9838 metric tons per square kilometre | +12.5% |
| 1986 | 1.11 metric tons per square kilometre | +12.8% |
| 1987 | 1.25 metric tons per square kilometre | +12.6% |
| 1988 | 1.4 metric tons per square kilometre | +12.4% |
| 1989 | 1.53 metric tons per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 1990 | 1.61 metric tons per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 1.83 metric tons per square kilometre | +13.5% |
| 1992 | 2.2 metric tons per square kilometre | +20.2% |
| 1993 | 2.63 metric tons per square kilometre | +19.8% |
| 1994 | 3.11 metric tons per square kilometre | +18.4% |
| 1995 | 3.61 metric tons per square kilometre | +15.9% |
| 1996 | 4.03 metric tons per square kilometre | +11.6% |
| 1997 | 4.1 metric tons per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 4.38 metric tons per square kilometre | +7.0% |
| 1999 | 4.6 metric tons per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 4.75 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 4.85 metric tons per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 5.07 metric tons per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 5.27 metric tons per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 5.53 metric tons per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2005 | 5.73 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 5.96 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 6.13 metric tons per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 6.31 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 6.51 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 6.69 metric tons per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 6.86 metric tons per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 7.19 metric tons per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 7.53 metric tons per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2014 | 7.85 metric tons per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 2015 | 8.1 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 8.34 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 8.51 metric tons per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 8.62 metric tons per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 8.8 metric tons per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 8.94 metric tons per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 9.15 metric tons per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 9.44 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 9.75 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.3% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 9.75 metric tons per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.8393 metric tons per square kilometre, 11.6× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 9.75 metric tons per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.99 metric tons per square kilometre, 2.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.412 metric tons per square kilometre | 0.393 metric tons per square kilometre | 0.4332 metric tons per square kilometre | 5 |
| 1970s | 0.5744 metric tons per square kilometre | 0.4229 metric tons per square kilometre | 0.6858 metric tons per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.9974 metric tons per square kilometre | 0.6576 metric tons per square kilometre | 1.53 metric tons per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.21 metric tons per square kilometre | 1.61 metric tons per square kilometre | 4.6 metric tons per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.61 metric tons per square kilometre | 4.75 metric tons per square kilometre | 6.51 metric tons per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.85 metric tons per square kilometre | 6.69 metric tons per square kilometre | 8.8 metric tons per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.32 metric tons per square kilometre | 8.94 metric tons per square kilometre | 9.75 metric tons per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 21 Norway 11.51 metric tons per square kilometre compare
- 22 Grenada 11.09 metric tons per square kilometre compare
- 23 Japan 10.6 metric tons per square kilometre compare
- 25 Netherlands 9.18 metric tons per square kilometre compare
- 26 Belize 8.68 metric tons per square kilometre compare
- 27 Ecuador 7.78 metric tons per square kilometre compare
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is how have things changed?, per square kilometre in China?
- How have things changed?, per square kilometre in China was 9.75 metric tons per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest how have things changed?, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 9.75 metric tons per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest how have things changed?, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.393 metric tons per square kilometre in 1965.
- How does China rank for how have things changed?, per square kilometre?
- China ranks 24th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is how have things changed?, per square kilometre rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of How have things changed?, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 59 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
How have things changed? 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.
How have things changed? ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- How have things changed? Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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
How have things changed? 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.