{"id": 1207492, "name": "World Population fed by Haber-Bosch nitrogen", "unit": "", "createdAt": "2026-03-06T11:06:42.000Z", "updatedAt": "2026-05-18T08:55:25.000Z", "coverage": "", "timespan": "1900-2015", "datasetId": 7654, "columnOrder": 0, "shortName": "world_population_fed_by_haber_bosch_nitrogen", "catalogPath": "grapher/agriculture/2017/population_fed_by_haber_bosch_fertilizers__fao__2017/population_fed_by_haber_bosch_fertilizers__fao__2017#world_population_fed_by_haber_bosch_nitrogen", "type": "int", "dataChecksum": "5976629960044470825", "metadataChecksum": "897605539931378973", "datasetName": "Population fed by Haber-Bosch fertilizers - FAO (2017)", "datasetVersion": "2017", "nonRedistributable": false, "display": {"name": "World population fed by synthetic fertilizer"}, "schemaVersion": 2, "presentation": {}, "dimensions": {"years": {"values": [{"id": 1900}, {"id": 1901}, {"id": 1902}, {"id": 1903}, {"id": 1904}, {"id": 1905}, {"id": 1906}, {"id": 1907}, {"id": 1908}, {"id": 1910}, {"id": 1930}, {"id": 1940}, {"id": 1950}, {"id": 1955}, {"id": 1960}, {"id": 1970}, {"id": 1980}, {"id": 1990}, {"id": 2000}, {"id": 2008}, {"id": 2015}]}, "entities": {"values": [{"id": 355, "name": "World", "code": "OWID_WRL"}]}}, "origins": [{"id": 14701, "title": "How a century of ammonia synthesis changed the world", "description": "Estimates of population sustained with and without the production of Haber-Bosch nitrogen are derived based on Figure 1 in Erisman et al. (2008) and its sources.\n\nWorld population figures were sourced from Gapminder for the years 1900-1949, and from the UN Population Division from 1950 onwards.\n\nThe share of the world's population reliant on Haber-Bosch fertilizer production for food production was estimated based on Figure 1 in Erisman et al. (2008). These figures are based on approximation, although coincide with several published projections of these estimates. Erisman et al. estimate that by 2000, 44% of the global population were sustained by Haber-Bosch nitrogen, rising to 48% by 2008. This approximately coincides with Smil (2002) estimates of 40% by 2000. OWID have extrapolated these estimates to 2015, assuming that approximately 50% (\u00b12%) rely on Haber-Bosch nitrogen.\n\nAdditional references:\n\nSmil, V. (2002). Nitrogen and food production: proteins for human diets. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 31(2), 126-131. Available at: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1579/0044-7447-31.2.126 [accessed 24th October 2017].\n\nStewart, W. M., Dibb, D. W., Johnston, A. E., & Smyth, T. J. (2005). The contribution of commercial fertilizer nutrients to food production. Agronomy Journal, 97(1), 1-6. Available at: https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/aj/abstracts/97/1/0001 [accessed 24th October 2017].", "producer": "Erisman et al.", "citationFull": "Erisman, J. W., Sutton, M. A., Galloway, J., Klimont, Z., and Winiwarter, W. (2008). How a century of ammonia synthesis changed the world. Nature Geoscience, 1(10), 636-639.", "urlMain": "https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo325", "dateAccessed": "2017-10-24", "datePublished": "2008"}]}