Fertilizer consumption in India
India: Fertilizer consumption was 30.64 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
30.64 million tonnes
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
2nd
of 201 countries
All-time high
32.54 million tonnes
in 2020
All-time low
338,071 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer consumption in India, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertilizer consumption in India is 30.64 million tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 25.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer consumption in India peaked at 32.54 million tonnes in 2020 and was at its lowest, 338,071 tonnes, in 1961.
That places India 2nd out of 201 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fertilizer consumption in India, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 338,071 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 451,472 tonnes | +33.5% |
| 1963 | 544,488 tonnes | +20.6% |
| 1964 | 773,303 tonnes | +42.0% |
| 1965 | 786,181 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1966 | 1.10 million tonnes | +39.9% |
| 1967 | 1.54 million tonnes | +40.0% |
| 1968 | 1.76 million tonnes | +14.3% |
| 1969 | 1.98 million tonnes | +12.7% |
| 1970 | 2.26 million tonnes | +13.8% |
| 1971 | 2.66 million tonnes | +17.8% |
| 1972 | 2.77 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1973 | 2.84 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 2.57 million tonnes | -9.4% |
| 1975 | 3.49 million tonnes | +35.8% |
| 1976 | 3.42 million tonnes | -2.2% |
| 1977 | 4.30 million tonnes | +25.7% |
| 1978 | 5.13 million tonnes | +19.5% |
| 1979 | 5.27 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 5.53 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1981 | 6.08 million tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1982 | 5.87 million tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1983 | 6.64 million tonnes | +13.1% |
| 1984 | 8.00 million tonnes | +20.5% |
| 1985 | 8.67 million tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1986 | 9.62 million tonnes | +11.0% |
| 1987 | 8.34 million tonnes | -13.3% |
| 1988 | 10.77 million tonnes | +29.0% |
| 1989 | 11.31 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1990 | 12.02 million tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1991 | 12.73 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1992 | 12.16 million tonnes | -4.5% |
| 1993 | 12.38 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 13.56 million tonnes | +9.5% |
| 1995 | 13.87 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 14.34 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 16.19 million tonnes | +12.9% |
| 1998 | 16.80 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 18.06 million tonnes | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 16.70 million tonnes | -7.5% |
| 2001 | 17.34 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 16.10 million tonnes | -7.2% |
| 2003 | 16.81 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 18.41 million tonnes | +9.5% |
| 2005 | 20.35 million tonnes | +10.5% |
| 2006 | 21.64 million tonnes | +6.4% |
| 2007 | 22.57 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 24.23 million tonnes | +7.3% |
| 2009 | 26.45 million tonnes | +9.1% |
| 2010 | 28.11 million tonnes | +6.3% |
| 2011 | 28.37 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 25.54 million tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2013 | 24.48 million tonnes | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 25.58 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 26.75 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 25.95 million tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 26.59 million tonnes | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 27.38 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 28.97 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 2020 | 32.54 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 2021 | 29.85 million tonnes | -8.3% |
| 2022 | 29.84 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 30.64 million tonnes | +2.7% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 30.64 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 86,615 tonnes, 353.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- India's 30.64 million tonnes is above the median for South Asia, which is 166,795 tonnes, 183.7× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.03 million tonnes | 338,071 tonnes | 1.98 million tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.47 million tonnes | 2.26 million tonnes | 5.27 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.08 million tonnes | 5.53 million tonnes | 11.31 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.21 million tonnes | 12.02 million tonnes | 18.06 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.06 million tonnes | 16.10 million tonnes | 26.45 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.77 million tonnes | 24.48 million tonnes | 28.97 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.72 million tonnes | 29.84 million tonnes | 32.54 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
More agriculture & rural data for India
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -2.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 438.73 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4067 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6431 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer consumption in India?
- Fertilizer consumption in India was 30.64 million tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertilizer consumption recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 32.54 million tonnes in 2020.
- What is the lowest fertilizer consumption recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 338,071 tonnes in 1961.
- How does India rank for fertilizer consumption?
- India ranks 2nd out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer consumption rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertilizer consumption. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Agricultural use from all fertilizer products (including nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers).