Fertilizer consumption in Nigeria
Nigeria: Fertilizer consumption was 156,561 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
156,561 tonnes
Change on year
down 41.7%
World rank
68th
of 201 countries
All-time high
831,884 tonnes
in 2020
All-time low
1,359 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Fertilizer consumption in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria is 156,561 tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 41.7% on the previous year and down 49.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer consumption in Nigeria peaked at 831,884 tonnes in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1,359 tonnes, in 1961.
Nigeria ranks 68th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fertilizer consumption in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1,359 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 1,366 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 1,923 tonnes | +40.8% |
| 1964 | 2,762 tonnes | +43.6% |
| 1965 | 3,609 tonnes | +30.7% |
| 1966 | 7,231 tonnes | +100.3% |
| 1967 | 7,441 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 9,975 tonnes | +34.0% |
| 1969 | 10,343 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1970 | 7,038 tonnes | -32.0% |
| 1971 | 9,339 tonnes | +32.7% |
| 1972 | 19,344 tonnes | +107.1% |
| 1973 | 14,869 tonnes | -23.1% |
| 1974 | 28,742 tonnes | +93.3% |
| 1975 | 54,600 tonnes | +90.0% |
| 1976 | 78,978 tonnes | +44.6% |
| 1977 | 74,254 tonnes | -6.0% |
| 1978 | 71,396 tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1979 | 108,210 tonnes | +51.6% |
| 1980 | 173,861 tonnes | +60.7% |
| 1981 | 213,271 tonnes | +22.7% |
| 1982 | 213,108 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 259,466 tonnes | +21.8% |
| 1984 | 266,425 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 222,458 tonnes | -16.5% |
| 1986 | 256,838 tonnes | +15.5% |
| 1987 | 235,171 tonnes | -8.4% |
| 1988 | 325,365 tonnes | +38.4% |
| 1989 | 363,842 tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1990 | 400,604 tonnes | +10.1% |
| 1991 | 429,237 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 1992 | 439,875 tonnes | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 460,680 tonnes | +4.7% |
| 1994 | 295,816 tonnes | -35.8% |
| 1995 | 182,880 tonnes | -38.2% |
| 1996 | 173,499 tonnes | -5.1% |
| 1997 | 137,830 tonnes | -20.6% |
| 1998 | 163,302 tonnes | +18.5% |
| 1999 | 167,670 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 187,680 tonnes | +11.9% |
| 2001 | 221,073 tonnes | +17.8% |
| 2002 | 153,820 tonnes | -30.4% |
| 2003 | 214,444 tonnes | +39.4% |
| 2004 | 159,253 tonnes | -25.7% |
| 2005 | 259,034 tonnes | +62.7% |
| 2006 | 369,498 tonnes | +42.6% |
| 2007 | 155,600 tonnes | -57.9% |
| 2008 | 211,347 tonnes | +35.8% |
| 2009 | 168,429 tonnes | -20.3% |
| 2010 | 403,452 tonnes | +139.5% |
| 2011 | 223,565 tonnes | -44.6% |
| 2012 | 303,046 tonnes | +35.6% |
| 2013 | 306,746 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 322,844 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 287,303 tonnes | -11.0% |
| 2016 | 387,656 tonnes | +34.9% |
| 2017 | 733,954 tonnes | +89.3% |
| 2018 | 685,907 tonnes | -6.5% |
| 2019 | 686,247 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 831,884 tonnes | +21.2% |
| 2021 | 662,696 tonnes | -20.3% |
| 2022 | 268,494 tonnes | -59.5% |
| 2023 | 156,561 tonnes | -41.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 156,561 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 86,615 tonnes, 1.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 156,561 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 24,201 tonnes, 6.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5,112 tonnes | 1,359 tonnes | 10,343 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 46,677 tonnes | 7,038 tonnes | 108,210 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 252,980 tonnes | 173,861 tonnes | 363,842 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 285,139 tonnes | 137,830 tonnes | 460,680 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 210,018 tonnes | 153,820 tonnes | 369,498 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 434,072 tonnes | 223,565 tonnes | 733,954 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 479,909 tonnes | 156,561 tonnes | 831,884 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer consumption in Nigeria?
- Fertilizer consumption in Nigeria was 156,561 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 831,884 tonnes in 2020.
- What is the lowest fertilizer consumption recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,359 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Nigeria rank for fertilizer consumption?
- Nigeria ranks 68th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer consumption rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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).