How fertilizer use per arable hectare varies across Central Africa

Gabon had the highest rate and the largest recent swings

Gabon reached 60.62 kg per hectare in 2017, fell to 21.27 in 2020 and rose to 59.85 in 2022. The 2024 record was 50.26. The annual series describes estimated national supply and use. It does not show where the nutrients were applied. Source 1

The Republic of the Congo overtook Cameroon in 2024

Cameroon’s 2024 reading was 16.30 kg per hectare, close to its 2023 figure of 16.40. The Republic of the Congo rose from 10.33 to 19.12. It had been below Cameroon in 2015, at 4.13 compared with 13.59. Source 1

Several estimates were low even within this group

Chad recorded 5.86 kg per hectare in 2024 and DR Congo 2.51. The Central African Republic’s record rounded to 0.01. A low national estimate does not establish that no growers used fertilizer. The country ratio averages use across all arable land. Source 1

The denominator includes more than the area planted in a given year

FAO arable land includes temporary crops, some temporary pasture and land temporarily fallow. The nutrient figures cover chemical fertilizers and exclude animal and plant manures. Estimated consumption uses production and net imports and can include compounds used outside farming. Source 2

Sources

• FAO via World Bank, fertilizer consumption per hectare of arable land
• World Bank metadata and FAO fertilizer and arable land definitions