General trends in fertilizer use in the world

We consider the trends in the use of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizers in the 15 largest countries from a population perspective. We use a growth curve modelling approach because of the temporal dimension of the analysis. We show that there is a general upward trend in the use of N and K fertilizers per unit of harvested land, with average rates of increase 0.93 and 0.64 kg/ha/year, respectively. However, there is no statistical evidence to show that the same trend holds for P fertilizers. There is a significant variation in growth between the 15 countries for all three fertilizers. For instance, Egypt and China show a higher starting level for fertilizer use in the study sample, and China’s fertilizer use intensity continues to increase in all three categories of fertilizers; at the same time, Japan has been reducing its use intensity for the three categories. This indicates greater opportunities for exchanging best practices in fertilizer use and management and provides basis for future requirement of fertilizers and promoting the use of alternative methods of farming.