Nitrogen use efficiency in Japan

Japan: Nitrogen use efficiency was 27.9% in 2014. ▼ Falling

Latest (2014)
27.9%
Change on year
up 28.9%
World rank
145th
of 205 countries
All-time high
37.4%
in 1961
All-time low
17.2%
in 1993
Years of data
54
1961–2014

Nitrogen use efficiency in Japan, 1961–2014

010203040196119872014

Source: Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for nitrogen use efficiency in Japan is 27.9%, measured in 2014.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 28.9% on the previous year and up 34.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nitrogen use efficiency in Japan peaked at 37.4% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 17.2%, in 1993.

Japan ranks 145th of 205 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.

Nitrogen use efficiency in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Nitrogen use efficiency in Japan, 1961 to 2014.
Year % Change
1961 37.4%
1962 35.6% -4.7%
1963 32.5% -8.7%
1964 32.1% -1.1%
1965 31.7% -1.4%
1966 29.1% -8.0%
1967 30.0% +2.9%
1968 29.9% -0.3%
1969 28.4% -5.1%
1970 26.9% -5.1%
1971 24.4% -9.5%
1972 24.3% -0.5%
1973 22.0% -9.4%
1974 24.1% +9.7%
1975 26.0% +7.6%
1976 22.9% -11.7%
1977 24.3% +6.1%
1978 23.5% -3.5%
1979 22.0% -6.4%
1980 22.2% +0.9%
1981 22.2% +0.1%
1982 22.2% -0.1%
1983 21.2% -4.2%
1984 23.0% +8.2%
1985 22.5% -2.1%
1986 22.2% -1.2%
1987 21.7% -2.5%
1988 21.0% -3.2%
1989 21.2% +1.1%
1990 21.6% +2.1%
1991 20.6% -4.9%
1992 21.6% +5.0%
1993 17.2% -20.2%
1994 22.5% +30.4%
1995 22.4% -0.6%
1996 22.3% -0.2%
1997 22.7% +1.7%
1998 21.7% -4.5%
1999 22.2% +2.5%
2000 22.9% +3.0%
2001 22.7% -0.7%
2002 21.8% -4.0%
2003 20.1% -7.8%
2004 20.7% +3.0%
2005 21.8% +5.3%
2006 21.1% -3.2%
2007 21.8% +3.2%
2008 23.1% +6.1%
2009 22.0% -4.8%
2010 21.1% -4.0%
2011 23.5% +11.6%
2012 24.0% +2.0%
2013 21.6% -9.9%
2014 27.9% +28.9%

Japan compared with similar countries

  • Japan's 27.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 36.0%, 77% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
  • Japan's 27.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 44.5%, 63% of the median. (32 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 31.9% 28.4% 37.4% 9
1970s 24.0% 22.0% 26.9% 10
1980s 21.9% 21.0% 23.0% 10
1990s 21.5% 17.2% 22.7% 10
2000s 21.8% 20.1% 23.1% 10
2010s 23.6% 21.1% 27.9% 5

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 142 Israel 29.0% compare
  2. 143 Cape Verde 28.6% compare
  3. 144 Bangladesh 28.0% compare
  4. 146 Yemen 27.8% compare
  5. 147 Libya 27.1% compare
  6. 148 Pakistan 26.7% compare

See the full ranking of 205 places →

More reference data data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is nitrogen use efficiency in Japan?
Nitrogen use efficiency in Japan was 27.9% in 2014, according to Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 37.4% in 1961.
What is the lowest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 17.2% in 1993.
How does Japan rank for nitrogen use efficiency?
Japan ranks 145th out of 205 countries with data for 2014.
Is nitrogen use efficiency rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 34.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Japan 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.

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Nitrogen use efficiency in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/nitrogen-use-efficiency/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Nitrogen use efficiency
Unit
%
Source
Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
205 places, 10,031 data points, 1961–2014
Last refreshed

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.