Nitrogen use efficiency in China
China: Nitrogen use efficiency was 32.0% in 2014. ▼ Falling
Nitrogen use efficiency in China, 1961–2014
Source: Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2014, nitrogen use efficiency in China stood at 32.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.2% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen use efficiency in China peaked at 71.4% in 1964 and was at its lowest, 26.6%, in 2006.
China ranks 135th of 204 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 64.5% | 55.5% | 71.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 46.6% | 35.5% | 56.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.0% | 29.1% | 36.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 30.8% | 28.7% | 33.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.0% | 26.6% | 30.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.7% | 27.9% | 32.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.66 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.0991 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.15 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.34 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 2.06 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 132.6 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen use efficiency in China?
- Nitrogen use efficiency in China was 32.0% in 2014, according to Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 71.4% in 1964.
- What is the lowest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.6% in 2006.
- How does China rank for nitrogen use efficiency?
- China ranks 135th out of 204 countries with data for 2014.
- Is nitrogen use efficiency rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Nitrogen use efficiency. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is the ratio between nitrogen inputs and output. A NUE of 40% means that only 40% of nitrogen inputs are converted into nitrogen in the form of crops.