geoeconomics · macro
Fertilizer use: where the potash and phosphate actually go
Agricultural consumption of the three primary nutrients — nitrogen, phosphate and potash — in tonnes of nutrient content, for 201 countries. The demand side of the fertilizer minerals this platform already tracks by production, reserves and price.
Definitions and method
Measured in nutrient content, not product weight, which is why the numbers are smaller than tonnages of the mined rock: potash ore becomes K2O, phosphate rock becomes P2O5, and the conversion differs by grade. FAO mixes its regional aggregates into the same column as countries — World, Africa, and constructions like 'Africa (excluding intra-trade)' — and reserves area codes of 5000 and above for them, so the rule here is the code rather than a list of names. FAO's own 'China' is one of those aggregates, covering the mainland together with Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao; the mainland is reported separately and is what appears here.
| Indicator | Code | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Agricultural Use | FAO.3102.5157 | t |
| Nutrient phosphate P2O5 (total) — Agricultural Use | FAO.3103.5157 | t |
| Nutrient potash K2O (total) — Agricultural Use | FAO.3104.5157 | t |