Nitrogen use efficiency in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Nitrogen use efficiency was 5.4% in 2014. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2014)
5.4%
Change on year
down 38.2%
World rank
195th
of 205 countries
All-time high
122.2%
in 1967
All-time low
5.4%
in 2014
Years of data
54
1961–2014

Nitrogen use efficiency in Saudi Arabia, 1961–2014

0255075100125196119872014

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

Analysis

In 2014, nitrogen use efficiency in Saudi Arabia stood at 5.4%. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 38.2% on the previous year and down 79.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nitrogen use efficiency in Saudi Arabia peaked at 122.2% in 1967 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia ranks 195th of 205 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Nitrogen use efficiency in Saudi Arabia, year by year

Annual values for Nitrogen use efficiency in Saudi Arabia, 1961 to 2014.
Year % Change
1961 114.3%
1962 110.4% -3.4%
1963 113.1% +2.4%
1964 104.1% -7.9%
1965 101.5% -2.6%
1966 83.8% -17.5%
1967 122.2% +45.9%
1968 117.0% -4.3%
1969 111.5% -4.7%
1970 109.0% -2.2%
1971 99.7% -8.5%
1972 60.4% -39.4%
1973 48.4% -20.0%
1974 66.5% +37.4%
1975 63.5% -4.5%
1976 50.4% -20.7%
1977 59.3% +17.7%
1978 51.2% -13.6%
1979 37.1% -27.6%
1980 27.0% -27.1%
1981 21.3% -21.3%
1982 25.1% +17.9%
1983 21.8% -13.1%
1984 24.0% +10.0%
1985 26.2% +9.5%
1986 26.7% +1.8%
1987 25.2% -5.5%
1988 30.3% +20.2%
1989 29.7% -2.2%
1990 29.7% +0.1%
1991 31.1% +4.9%
1992 31.1% -0.1%
1993 36.8% +18.5%
1994 43.2% +17.4%
1995 33.6% -22.3%
1996 24.7% -26.4%
1997 26.0% +5.4%
1998 23.3% -10.5%
1999 25.1% +7.6%
2000 21.1% -15.6%
2001 23.6% +11.7%
2002 42.3% +78.9%
2003 23.4% -44.7%
2004 26.4% +13.2%
2005 29.6% +11.9%
2006 25.5% -13.9%
2007 23.0% -9.6%
2008 26.4% +14.8%
2009 25.2% -4.7%
2010 21.2% -15.8%
2011 14.0% -34.0%
2012 8.2% -41.4%
2013 8.7% +6.6%
2014 5.4% -38.2%

Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries

  • Saudi Arabia's 5.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 36.0%, 15% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
  • Saudi Arabia's 5.4% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 27.8%, 19% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 108.7% 83.8% 122.2% 9
1970s 64.5% 37.1% 109.0% 10
1980s 25.7% 21.3% 30.3% 10
1990s 30.5% 23.3% 43.2% 10
2000s 26.7% 21.1% 42.3% 10
2010s 11.5% 5.4% 21.2% 5

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

  1. 192 Mongolia 6.7% compare
  2. 193 United Arab Emirates 6.4% compare
  3. 194 Cayman Islands 6.3% compare
  4. 196 New Zealand 5.2% compare
  5. 197 Western Sahara 5.2% compare
  6. 198 Botswana 4.5% compare

See the full ranking of 205 places →

More reference data data for Saudi Arabia

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is nitrogen use efficiency in Saudi Arabia?
Nitrogen use efficiency in Saudi Arabia was 5.4% in 2014, according to Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The highest recorded value was 122.2% in 1967.
What is the lowest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2014.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for nitrogen use efficiency?
Saudi Arabia ranks 195th out of 205 countries with data for 2014.
Is nitrogen use efficiency rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
Over the last ten years it is down 79.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia. Statizoid, drawing on Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/nitrogen-use-efficiency/saudi-arabia/

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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.