Nitrogen fertilizer use in Ireland
Ireland: Nitrogen fertilizer use was 280,569 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
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 37th of 201 regions on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
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 7.63 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.1% (2025)
- Rural population 1.94 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.0% (2025)
- Rural population 35.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.1% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.1% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 258,930 hectares (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 37th out of 201 regions 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.