Nitrogen fertilizer use in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Nitrogen fertilizer use was 340,801 tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
340,801 tonnes
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
36th
of 202 countries
All-time high
550,300 tonnes
in 1983
All-time low
65,032 tonnes
in 1962
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Nitrogen fertilizer use in Bulgaria, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 340,801 tonnes for nitrogen fertilizer use in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use in Bulgaria peaked at 550,300 tonnes in 1983 and was at its lowest, 65,032 tonnes, in 1962.
Bulgaria ranks 36th of 202 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Nitrogen fertilizer use in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 73,223 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 65,032 tonnes | -11.2% |
| 1963 | 89,128 tonnes | +37.1% |
| 1964 | 158,972 tonnes | +78.4% |
| 1965 | 219,072 tonnes | +37.8% |
| 1966 | 281,739 tonnes | +28.6% |
| 1967 | 323,231 tonnes | +14.7% |
| 1968 | 390,033 tonnes | +20.7% |
| 1969 | 386,884 tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 378,802 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 321,774 tonnes | -15.1% |
| 1972 | 353,654 tonnes | +9.9% |
| 1973 | 328,057 tonnes | -7.2% |
| 1974 | 329,536 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 379,972 tonnes | +15.3% |
| 1976 | 348,400 tonnes | -8.3% |
| 1977 | 362,574 tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1978 | 376,334 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1979 | 420,551 tonnes | +11.7% |
| 1980 | 450,000 tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1981 | 518,000 tonnes | +15.1% |
| 1982 | 535,600 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 550,300 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 479,400 tonnes | -12.9% |
| 1985 | 499,000 tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1986 | 478,000 tonnes | -4.2% |
| 1987 | 469,400 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 548,000 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1989 | 495,000 tonnes | -9.7% |
| 1990 | 452,900 tonnes | -8.5% |
| 1991 | 377,268 tonnes | -16.7% |
| 1992 | 189,175 tonnes | -49.9% |
| 1993 | 166,139 tonnes | -12.2% |
| 1994 | 207,700 tonnes | +25.0% |
| 1995 | 112,000 tonnes | -46.1% |
| 1996 | 152,000 tonnes | +35.7% |
| 1997 | 157,800 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 135,000 tonnes | -14.4% |
| 1999 | 110,594 tonnes | -18.1% |
| 2000 | 144,900 tonnes | +31.0% |
| 2001 | 172,302 tonnes | +18.9% |
| 2002 | 283,556 tonnes | +64.6% |
| 2003 | 315,624 tonnes | +11.3% |
| 2004 | 240,614 tonnes | -23.8% |
| 2005 | 189,946 tonnes | -21.1% |
| 2006 | 146,882 tonnes | -22.7% |
| 2007 | 200,117 tonnes | +36.2% |
| 2008 | 213,562 tonnes | +6.7% |
| 2009 | 278,360 tonnes | +30.3% |
| 2010 | 270,129 tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 371,015 tonnes | +37.3% |
| 2012 | 245,000 tonnes | -34.0% |
| 2013 | 292,381 tonnes | +19.3% |
| 2014 | 296,591 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 329,546 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 2016 | 365,913 tonnes | +11.0% |
| 2017 | 351,120 tonnes | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 339,329 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 352,486 tonnes | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 364,335 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 342,890 tonnes | -5.9% |
| 2022 | 343,254 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 340,801 tonnes | -0.7% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 340,801 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 83,582 tonnes, 4.1× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 340,801 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 107,185 tonnes, 3.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 220,813 tonnes | 65,032 tonnes | 390,033 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 359,965 tonnes | 321,774 tonnes | 420,551 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 502,270 tonnes | 450,000 tonnes | 550,300 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 206,058 tonnes | 110,594 tonnes | 452,900 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 218,586 tonnes | 144,900 tonnes | 315,624 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 321,351 tonnes | 245,000 tonnes | 371,015 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 347,820 tonnes | 340,801 tonnes | 364,335 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More agriculture & rural data for Bulgaria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 21.46 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0247 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 503.12 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9803 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2583 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use in Bulgaria?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use in Bulgaria was 340,801 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 nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 550,300 tonnes in 1983.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 65,032 tonnes in 1962.
- How does Bulgaria rank for nitrogen fertilizer use?
- Bulgaria ranks 36th out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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 Nitrogen fertilizer use. 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
Measures total nitrogen inputs, including synthetic fertilizers alongside organic inputs from manure and crop fixation. Measured in tonnes of nitrogen.