Nitrogen use efficiency in Zambia
Zambia: Nitrogen use efficiency was 48.6% in 2014. ▼ Falling
Nitrogen use efficiency in Zambia, 1961–2014
Source: Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nitrogen use efficiency in Zambia is 48.6%, measured in 2014.
The figure is up 12.8% on the previous year and up 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen use efficiency in Zambia peaked at 81.2% in 1966 and was at its lowest, 18.8%, in 1992.
That places Zambia 99th out of 204 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 73.6% | 56.8% | 81.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 44.9% | 32.1% | 56.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.5% | 22.2% | 50.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.6% | 18.8% | 75.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.6% | 34.5% | 76.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.0% | 43.0% | 58.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
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- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 °C (2026)
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- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2981 °C (2025)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen use efficiency in Zambia?
- Nitrogen use efficiency in Zambia was 48.6% in 2014, according to Lassaletta et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 81.2% in 1966.
- What is the lowest nitrogen use efficiency recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.8% in 1992.
- How does Zambia rank for nitrogen use efficiency?
- Zambia ranks 99th out of 204 countries with data for 2014.
- Is nitrogen use efficiency rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.