Nitrogen use efficiency in Switzerland

Switzerland: Nitrogen use efficiency was 36.7% in 2014. ▼ Falling

Latest (2014)
36.7%
Change on year
up 20.1%
World rank
126th
of 205 countries
All-time high
50.5%
in 1961
All-time low
24.4%
in 1986
Years of data
54
1961–2014

Nitrogen use efficiency in Switzerland, 1961–2014

0204060196119872014

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

Analysis

In 2014, nitrogen use efficiency in Switzerland stood at 36.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 20.1% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nitrogen use efficiency in Switzerland peaked at 50.5% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 24.4%, in 1986.

That places Switzerland 126th 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 Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for Nitrogen use efficiency in Switzerland, 1961 to 2014.
Year % Change
1961 50.5%
1962 42.0% -16.8%
1963 44.6% +6.3%
1964 47.7% +6.8%
1965 41.8% -12.4%
1966 41.3% -1.1%
1967 42.4% +2.7%
1968 39.0% -8.0%
1969 38.9% -0.3%
1970 35.6% -8.5%
1971 42.6% +19.5%
1972 40.2% -5.7%
1973 37.8% -5.9%
1974 41.1% +8.9%
1975 35.6% -13.4%
1976 31.2% -12.6%
1977 30.6% -1.6%
1978 31.0% +1.1%
1979 32.6% +5.3%
1980 29.8% -8.7%
1981 33.1% +11.3%
1982 36.2% +9.4%
1983 32.9% -9.2%
1984 36.8% +11.9%
1985 26.0% -29.4%
1986 24.4% -6.2%
1987 25.2% +3.5%
1988 31.3% +24.2%
1989 34.6% +10.3%
1990 32.2% -6.8%
1991 33.5% +3.8%
1992 32.3% -3.5%
1993 33.9% +5.0%
1994 31.8% -6.1%
1995 32.4% +1.9%
1996 35.8% +10.5%
1997 35.5% -0.8%
1998 35.1% -1.3%
1999 32.2% -8.3%
2000 37.5% +16.5%
2001 31.6% -15.8%
2002 36.4% +15.3%
2003 31.1% -14.3%
2004 36.4% +17.0%
2005 33.0% -9.5%
2006 31.9% -3.4%
2007 35.0% +9.9%
2008 33.9% -3.1%
2009 33.9% -0.1%
2010 31.0% -8.5%
2011 35.0% +12.8%
2012 32.4% -7.3%
2013 30.5% -5.9%
2014 36.7% +20.1%

Switzerland compared with similar countries

  • Switzerland's 36.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 36.0%, 1.0× the median. (69 countries reporting)
  • Switzerland's 36.7% 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 43.2% 38.9% 50.5% 9
1970s 35.8% 30.6% 42.6% 10
1980s 31.0% 24.4% 36.8% 10
1990s 33.5% 31.8% 35.8% 10
2000s 34.1% 31.1% 37.5% 10
2010s 33.1% 30.5% 36.7% 5

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 123 Egypt 37.3% compare
  2. 124 Tonga 37.2% compare
  3. 125 Netherlands 37.1% compare
  4. 127 Spain 36.4% compare
  5. 128 Chile 36.1% compare
  6. 129 Belgium 36.0% compare

See the full ranking of 205 places →

More reference data data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is nitrogen use efficiency in Switzerland?
Nitrogen use efficiency in Switzerland was 36.7% in 2014, according to Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 50.5% in 1961.
What is the lowest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 24.4% in 1986.
How does Switzerland rank for nitrogen use efficiency?
Switzerland ranks 126th out of 205 countries with data for 2014.
Is nitrogen use efficiency rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Switzerland 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 Switzerland. 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/switzerland/

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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.