Nitrogen fertilizer use in Canada
Canada: Nitrogen fertilizer use was 3.12 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Nitrogen fertilizer use 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
Canada recorded 3.12 million tonnes for nitrogen fertilizer use in 2023. 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, nitrogen fertilizer use in Canada peaked at 3.12 million tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 98,348 tonnes, in 1961.
Canada ranks 6th of 201 countries on this measure, 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 nitrogen fertilizer use in Canada?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use 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 nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 3.12 million tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 98,348 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Canada rank for nitrogen fertilizer use?
- Canada ranks 6th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use 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 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.