Data from: Global trends of cropland phosphorus use and sustainability challenges

To meet the growing food demand while addressing the multiple challenges
of exacerbating phosphorus (P) pollution and depleting P rock reserves, P
use efficiency (PUE, the ratio of productive P output to P input in a
defined system) in crop production needs to be improved. Although many
efforts have been devoted to improving nutrient management practices on
farms, few studies have examined the historical trajectories of PUE and
their socioeconomic and agronomic drivers on a national scale. Here we
present a database of the P budget (the input and output of the crop
production system) and PUE by country and by crop type for 1961–2019 and
examine the substantial contribution of several drivers for PUE, such as
economic development stages and crop portfolios. To address the P
management challenges, we found that global PUE in crop production must
increase to 68–81%, and recent trends indicate some meaningful progress
towards this goal. However, P management challenges and opportunities in
croplands vary widely among countries.