Nitrogen fertilizer use in Italy
Italy: Nitrogen fertilizer use was 569,434 tonnes in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
569,434 tonnes
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
27th
of 202 countries
All-time high
1.11 million tonnes
in 1979
All-time low
347,749 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Nitrogen fertilizer use in Italy, 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, nitrogen fertilizer use in Italy stood at 569,434 tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use in Italy peaked at 1.11 million tonnes in 1979 and was at its lowest, 347,749 tonnes, in 1961.
Italy ranks 27th of 202 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Nitrogen fertilizer use in Italy, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 347,749 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 376,504 tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1963 | 374,984 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1964 | 403,647 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1965 | 461,767 tonnes | +14.4% |
| 1966 | 475,340 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 479,701 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 513,595 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 1969 | 550,402 tonnes | +7.2% |
| 1970 | 594,547 tonnes | +8.0% |
| 1971 | 624,874 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1972 | 691,806 tonnes | +10.7% |
| 1973 | 672,178 tonnes | -2.8% |
| 1974 | 672,195 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 724,337 tonnes | +7.8% |
| 1976 | 699,726 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 1977 | 817,300 tonnes | +16.8% |
| 1978 | 1.04 million tonnes | +27.6% |
| 1979 | 1.11 million tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 1.01 million tonnes | -9.1% |
| 1981 | 987,968 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 967,833 tonnes | -2.0% |
| 1983 | 996,106 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 1.03 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 1.05 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 1.01 million tonnes | -4.2% |
| 1987 | 1.05 million tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 924,021 tonnes | -11.7% |
| 1989 | 827,279 tonnes | -10.5% |
| 1990 | 878,960 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1991 | 906,720 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 910,000 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 917,900 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 879,200 tonnes | -4.2% |
| 1995 | 875,000 tonnes | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 876,000 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 855,000 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 845,000 tonnes | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 868,000 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 828,000 tonnes | -4.6% |
| 2001 | 773,161 tonnes | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 845,003 tonnes | +9.3% |
| 2003 | 846,812 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 866,469 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 800,697 tonnes | -7.6% |
| 2006 | 798,807 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 812,480 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 670,261 tonnes | -17.5% |
| 2009 | 514,480 tonnes | -23.2% |
| 2010 | 498,605 tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 516,543 tonnes | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 591,000 tonnes | +14.4% |
| 2013 | 600,600 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 574,016 tonnes | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 605,236 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2016 | 602,730 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 599,242 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 594,767 tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 598,544 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 574,530 tonnes | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 572,105 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 570,504 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 569,434 tonnes | -0.2% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 569,434 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 83,582 tonnes, 6.8× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Italy's 569,434 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 107,185 tonnes, 5.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 442,632 tonnes | 347,749 tonnes | 550,402 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 764,642 tonnes | 594,547 tonnes | 1.11 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 984,726 tonnes | 827,279 tonnes | 1.05 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 881,178 tonnes | 845,000 tonnes | 917,900 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 775,617 tonnes | 514,480 tonnes | 866,469 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 578,128 tonnes | 498,605 tonnes | 605,236 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 571,643 tonnes | 569,434 tonnes | 574,530 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 24 United Kingdom 871,000 tonnes compare
- 25 Spain 773,011 tonnes compare
- 26 Philippines 653,342 tonnes compare
- 28 Ethiopia 547,263 tonnes compare
- 29 Turkmenistan 510,576 tonnes compare
- 30 Belarus 490,809 tonnes compare
More agriculture & rural data for Italy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0207 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 894.54 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.3131 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3032 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use in Italy?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use in Italy was 569,434 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 1.11 million tonnes in 1979.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 347,749 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Italy rank for nitrogen fertilizer use?
- Italy ranks 27th out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Italy 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.