Nitrogen fertilizer use in Spain
Spain: Nitrogen fertilizer use was 773,011 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
773,011 tonnes
Change on year
up 3.9%
World rank
25th
of 202 countries
All-time high
1.20 million tonnes
in 1998
All-time low
327,178 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Nitrogen fertilizer use in Spain, 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 Spain stood at 773,011 tonnes.
That represents a change of up 3.9% on the previous year and down 19.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use in Spain peaked at 1.20 million tonnes in 1998 and was at its lowest, 327,178 tonnes, in 1961.
That places Spain 25th out of 202 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Nitrogen fertilizer use in Spain, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 327,178 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 345,497 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1963 | 333,031 tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1964 | 364,054 tonnes | +9.3% |
| 1965 | 384,720 tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1966 | 473,600 tonnes | +23.1% |
| 1967 | 477,800 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 568,200 tonnes | +18.9% |
| 1969 | 606,700 tonnes | +6.8% |
| 1970 | 578,000 tonnes | -4.7% |
| 1971 | 667,000 tonnes | +15.4% |
| 1972 | 689,318 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1973 | 728,457 tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1974 | 713,755 tonnes | -2.0% |
| 1975 | 722,154 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 830,384 tonnes | +15.0% |
| 1977 | 788,072 tonnes | -5.1% |
| 1978 | 870,600 tonnes | +10.5% |
| 1979 | 908,163 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1980 | 901,889 tonnes | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 818,318 tonnes | -9.3% |
| 1982 | 798,892 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 808,460 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 916,842 tonnes | +13.4% |
| 1985 | 961,600 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1986 | 1.06 million tonnes | +10.5% |
| 1987 | 1.15 million tonnes | +8.0% |
| 1988 | 1.17 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 1.11 million tonnes | -5.1% |
| 1990 | 1.06 million tonnes | -4.2% |
| 1991 | 998,705 tonnes | -6.1% |
| 1992 | 817,621 tonnes | -18.1% |
| 1993 | 929,300 tonnes | +13.7% |
| 1994 | 982,500 tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1995 | 912,800 tonnes | -7.1% |
| 1996 | 1.15 million tonnes | +26.3% |
| 1997 | 1.04 million tonnes | -9.6% |
| 1998 | 1.20 million tonnes | +15.1% |
| 1999 | 1.18 million tonnes | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 1.11 million tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 1.11 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 1.03 million tonnes | -7.6% |
| 2003 | 1.20 million tonnes | +16.8% |
| 2004 | 1.07 million tonnes | -10.5% |
| 2005 | 923,764 tonnes | -13.9% |
| 2006 | 969,783 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 985,857 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 739,757 tonnes | -25.0% |
| 2009 | 781,069 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 941,100 tonnes | +20.5% |
| 2011 | 846,700 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2012 | 843,410 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 961,507 tonnes | +14.0% |
| 2014 | 1.10 million tonnes | +14.6% |
| 2015 | 1.07 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 982,155 tonnes | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 1.08 million tonnes | +9.9% |
| 2018 | 1.03 million tonnes | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 1.01 million tonnes | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 1.06 million tonnes | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 1.03 million tonnes | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 744,072 tonnes | -27.7% |
| 2023 | 773,011 tonnes | +3.9% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 773,011 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 83,582 tonnes, 9.2× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Spain's 773,011 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 107,185 tonnes, 7.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 431,198 tonnes | 327,178 tonnes | 606,700 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 749,590 tonnes | 578,000 tonnes | 908,163 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 969,411 tonnes | 798,892 tonnes | 1.17 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.03 million tonnes | 817,621 tonnes | 1.20 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 992,274 tonnes | 739,757 tonnes | 1.20 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 986,893 tonnes | 843,410 tonnes | 1.10 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 901,543 tonnes | 744,072 tonnes | 1.06 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 22 Uzbekistan 961,192 tonnes compare
- 23 Iran 903,185 tonnes compare
- 24 United Kingdom 871,000 tonnes compare
- 26 Philippines 653,342 tonnes compare
- 27 Italy 569,434 tonnes compare
- 28 Ethiopia 547,263 tonnes compare
More agriculture & rural data for Spain
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0268 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,036 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0113 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1949 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use in Spain?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use in Spain was 773,011 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 1.20 million tonnes in 1998.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 327,178 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Spain rank for nitrogen fertilizer use?
- Spain ranks 25th out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain 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.