Nitrogen fertilizer use in Ireland
Ireland: Nitrogen fertilizer use was 280,569 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
280,569 tonnes
Change on year
down 18.2%
World rank
38th
of 202 countries
All-time high
444,000 tonnes
in 1998
All-time low
28,856 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Nitrogen fertilizer use in Ireland, 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 nitrogen fertilizer use in Ireland is 280,569 tonnes, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 18.2% on the previous year and down 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use in Ireland peaked at 444,000 tonnes in 1998 and was at its lowest, 28,856 tonnes, in 1961.
Ireland ranks 38th of 202 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Nitrogen fertilizer use in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 28,856 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 33,486 tonnes | +16.0% |
| 1963 | 34,695 tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1964 | 29,624 tonnes | -14.6% |
| 1965 | 31,900 tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1966 | 47,828 tonnes | +49.9% |
| 1967 | 53,300 tonnes | +11.4% |
| 1968 | 64,100 tonnes | +20.3% |
| 1969 | 71,900 tonnes | +12.2% |
| 1970 | 86,500 tonnes | +20.3% |
| 1971 | 98,300 tonnes | +13.6% |
| 1972 | 131,700 tonnes | +34.0% |
| 1973 | 130,200 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 1974 | 133,000 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 152,739 tonnes | +14.8% |
| 1976 | 168,159 tonnes | +10.1% |
| 1977 | 230,466 tonnes | +37.1% |
| 1978 | 263,600 tonnes | +14.4% |
| 1979 | 247,500 tonnes | -6.1% |
| 1980 | 275,100 tonnes | +11.2% |
| 1981 | 275,200 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 296,000 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1983 | 331,400 tonnes | +12.0% |
| 1984 | 327,700 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 322,733 tonnes | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 371,663 tonnes | +15.2% |
| 1987 | 339,300 tonnes | -8.7% |
| 1988 | 349,000 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 378,500 tonnes | +8.5% |
| 1990 | 370,000 tonnes | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 347,900 tonnes | -6.0% |
| 1992 | 353,000 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 404,000 tonnes | +14.4% |
| 1994 | 433,000 tonnes | +7.2% |
| 1995 | 425,000 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 394,000 tonnes | -7.3% |
| 1997 | 397,000 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 444,000 tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1999 | 429,000 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 368,410 tonnes | -14.1% |
| 2001 | 366,000 tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 363,513 tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 391,200 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 2004 | 352,165 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2005 | 345,154 tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 321,588 tonnes | -6.8% |
| 2007 | 308,960 tonnes | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 306,806 tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 362,395 tonnes | +18.1% |
| 2010 | 313,649 tonnes | -13.5% |
| 2011 | 296,536 tonnes | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 353,044 tonnes | +19.1% |
| 2013 | 331,782 tonnes | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 331,782 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 330,959 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 339,104 tonnes | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 369,089 tonnes | +8.8% |
| 2018 | 408,495 tonnes | +10.7% |
| 2019 | 367,364 tonnes | -10.1% |
| 2020 | 379,519 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 399,164 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 343,193 tonnes | -14.0% |
| 2023 | 280,569 tonnes | -18.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 280,569 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 83,582 tonnes, 3.4× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 280,569 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 107,185 tonnes, 2.6× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 43,965 tonnes | 28,856 tonnes | 71,900 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 164,216 tonnes | 86,500 tonnes | 263,600 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 326,660 tonnes | 275,100 tonnes | 378,500 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 399,690 tonnes | 347,900 tonnes | 444,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 348,619 tonnes | 306,806 tonnes | 391,200 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 344,180 tonnes | 296,536 tonnes | 408,495 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 350,611 tonnes | 280,569 tonnes | 399,164 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More agriculture & rural data for Ireland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 22.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0106 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,391 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.9559 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3541 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use in Ireland?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use in Ireland was 280,569 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 444,000 tonnes in 1998.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 28,856 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Ireland rank for nitrogen fertilizer use?
- Ireland ranks 38th out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.