Fertilizer use by nutrient in Canada
Canada: Fertilizer use by nutrient was 3.12 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Fertilizer use by nutrient in Canada, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, fertilizer use by nutrient in Canada stood at 3.12 million tonnes. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 13.6% on the previous year and up 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertilizer use by nutrient in Canada peaked at 3.12 million tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 98,348 tonnes, in 1961.
That places Canada 6th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 207,728 tonnes | 98,348 tonnes | 320,841 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 567,831 tonnes | 291,820 tonnes | 834,400 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.15 million tonnes | 937,800 tonnes | 1.34 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.48 million tonnes | 1.16 million tonnes | 1.68 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.70 million tonnes | 1.37 million tonnes | 2.07 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.52 million tonnes | 2.05 million tonnes | 2.79 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.93 million tonnes | 2.74 million tonnes | 3.12 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More agriculture & rural data for Canada
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 42.53 billion current US$ (2022)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.9% (2022)
- Rural population 7.13 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.1% (2025)
- Rural population 17.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.9% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.9% (2022)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.9% (2022)
- Land under cereal production 16.03 million hectares (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertilizer use by nutrient in Canada?
- Fertilizer use by nutrient in Canada was 3.12 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 use by nutrient recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 3.12 million tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest fertilizer use by nutrient recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 98,348 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Canada rank for fertilizer use by nutrient?
- Canada ranks 6th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertilizer use by nutrient rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada 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 use by nutrient. 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
Fertilizer use in the agricultural sector, which includes use for crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture.