Nitrogen use efficiency in Spain

Spain: Nitrogen use efficiency was 36.4% in 2014. ▼ Falling

Latest (2014)
36.4%
Change on year
down 18.0%
World rank
127th
of 205 countries
All-time high
51.5%
in 1963
All-time low
27.2%
in 1995
Years of data
54
1961–2014

Nitrogen use efficiency in Spain, 1961–2014

0204060196119872014

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for nitrogen use efficiency in Spain is 36.4%, measured in 2014.

The figure is down 18.0% on the previous year and down 9.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nitrogen use efficiency in Spain peaked at 51.5% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 27.2%, in 1995.

That places Spain 127th out of 205 countries with data for 2014, putting it 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 Spain, year by year

Annual values for Nitrogen use efficiency in Spain, 1961 to 2014.
Year % Change
1961 46.8%
1962 49.3% +5.3%
1963 51.5% +4.5%
1964 45.2% -12.3%
1965 46.8% +3.6%
1966 43.4% -7.2%
1967 44.8% +3.2%
1968 42.7% -4.8%
1969 40.5% -5.2%
1970 39.4% -2.5%
1971 42.4% +7.5%
1972 39.7% -6.5%
1973 37.5% -5.4%
1974 40.6% +8.1%
1975 42.2% +4.1%
1976 36.3% -14.0%
1977 38.9% +7.0%
1978 40.2% +3.3%
1979 36.5% -9.2%
1980 42.8% +17.3%
1981 34.4% -19.4%
1982 38.0% +10.2%
1983 37.6% -0.8%
1984 45.3% +20.3%
1985 42.4% -6.3%
1986 34.4% -19.0%
1987 38.5% +12.0%
1988 40.3% +4.5%
1989 36.7% -8.8%
1990 37.7% +2.8%
1991 38.9% +3.0%
1992 37.7% -3.0%
1993 37.3% -1.0%
1994 32.5% -13.0%
1995 27.2% -16.3%
1996 37.8% +39.1%
1997 37.5% -0.7%
1998 36.8% -2.0%
1999 31.3% -15.0%
2000 39.9% +27.6%
2001 33.2% -16.9%
2002 37.9% +14.3%
2003 34.5% -9.1%
2004 40.3% +16.8%
2005 30.3% -24.6%
2006 35.9% +18.1%
2007 41.0% +14.2%
2008 46.8% +14.3%
2009 38.5% -17.8%
2010 37.4% -3.0%
2011 43.1% +15.3%
2012 35.7% -17.1%
2013 44.4% +24.2%
2014 36.4% -18.0%

Spain compared with similar countries

  • Spain's 36.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 36.0%, 1.0× the median. (69 countries reporting)
  • Spain's 36.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 54.4%, 67% of the median. (49 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 45.7% 40.5% 51.5% 9
1970s 39.4% 36.3% 42.4% 10
1980s 39.0% 34.4% 45.3% 10
1990s 35.5% 27.2% 38.9% 10
2000s 37.8% 30.3% 46.8% 10
2010s 39.4% 35.7% 44.4% 5

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 124 Tonga 37.2% compare
  2. 125 Netherlands 37.1% compare
  3. 126 Switzerland 36.7% compare
  4. 128 Chile 36.1% compare
  5. 129 Belgium 36.0% compare
  6. 130 India 34.3% compare

See the full ranking of 205 places →

More reference data data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is nitrogen use efficiency in Spain?
Nitrogen use efficiency in Spain was 36.4% in 2014, according to Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 51.5% in 1963.
What is the lowest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 27.2% in 1995.
How does Spain rank for nitrogen use efficiency?
Spain ranks 127th out of 205 countries with data for 2014.
Is nitrogen use efficiency rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Spain 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 Spain. 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/spain/

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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.