Using the provincial panel data from 1991 to 2017 and the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) method, this study measured the technical efficiency of chemical fertilizer application in 28 provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) in China. The study found that the technical efficiency of chemical fertilizer use for agricultural production in China had shown a growing trend in the study period. The average technical efficiency of chemical fertilizer application in all regions from 2015 to 2017 was significantly higher than that of 1998-2014 and 1991-1997. The technical efficiency of chemical fertilizer application in the eastern region was significantly higher than that in the western and central regions; Using Moran’s I index analysis, we also found that there is a spatial correlation between the technical efficiency of chemical fertilizer application in various provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) in China. In addition, this spatial correlation is becoming increasingly more significant over time. Finally, we used the spatial Dubin model to analyze the influencing factors of the technical efficiency of chemical fertilizer applicationthe results show that the proportion of labor non-agricultural employment has a significant negative impact on the technical efficiency of chemical fertilizer application. The level of farmers’ income has a positive spillover effect, while the urbanization rate has a negative spillover effect. In the future, in the process of agricultural production, all regions should not only pay attention to the development within the region, but also strengthen interregional cooperation and exchanges.