The effect of dopant composition ratio on nonvolatile holographic recording in LiNbO3∶Cu∶Ce crystals has been investigated experimentally. The results show that the dopant composition ratio affects the performance of nonvolatile holographic recording by altering the ultraviolet light absorption characteristics of the crystals. Increasing the dopant composition ratio of Cu and Ce leads to an increase in the absorption of ultraviolet light and further to an increase in the recording sensitivity and the fixed diffraction efficiency. The maximum values of the fixed diffraction efficiency ηf=32% and the recording sensitivity S=0.022 cm/J are measured from a weakly oxidized LiNbO3∶Ce∶Cu crystal doped with 0.085% CuO and 0.011% Ce2O3.