Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Germany
Germany: Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre was 2.97 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Germany, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
Germany recorded 2.97 tonnes per square kilometre for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and down 38.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Germany peaked at 6.91 tonnes per square kilometre in 1988 and was at its lowest, 2.51 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
Germany ranks 16th of 195 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Germany, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.51 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 2.95 tonnes per square kilometre | +17.6% |
| 1963 | 2.97 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 3.22 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.5% |
| 1965 | 3.69 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.7% |
| 1966 | 3.78 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 3.85 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 4.13 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 1969 | 4.5 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.9% |
| 1970 | 4.7 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1971 | 4.89 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1972 | 5.29 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 1973 | 5.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.3% |
| 1974 | 5.36 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1975 | 5.46 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 5.95 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.0% |
| 1977 | 6 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 6.12 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 6.37 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1980 | 6.6 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 5.94 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.0% |
| 1982 | 6.22 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1983 | 5.93 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 1984 | 6.15 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 6.55 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1986 | 6.55 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 6.8 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 6.91 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 6.45 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.6% |
| 1990 | 5.12 tonnes per square kilometre | -20.7% |
| 1991 | 4.93 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 4.81 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 4.62 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.0% |
| 1994 | 5.12 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.9% |
| 1995 | 5.07 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 5.04 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 5.12 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 5.45 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1999 | 5.77 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 2000 | 5.29 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 5.14 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 5.12 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 5.24 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 5.1 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 5.12 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 4.59 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.4% |
| 2007 | 5.18 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.0% |
| 2008 | 4.45 tonnes per square kilometre | -14.2% |
| 2009 | 4.5 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 5.13 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.9% |
| 2011 | 4.71 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.2% |
| 2012 | 4.73 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 4.8 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 5.22 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.8% |
| 2015 | 4.9 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.1% |
| 2016 | 4.75 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 4.28 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.8% |
| 2018 | 3.84 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.3% |
| 2019 | 3.93 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 3.62 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.8% |
| 2021 | 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre | -13.3% |
| 2022 | 2.88 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 2023 | 2.97 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 2.97 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.7098 tonnes per square kilometre, 4.2× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Germany's 2.97 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.32 tonnes per square kilometre, 2.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.51 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.51 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.5 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.52 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.7 tonnes per square kilometre | 6.37 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.41 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.93 tonnes per square kilometre | 6.91 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.1 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.62 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.77 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.97 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.45 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.29 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.63 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.84 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.22 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.15 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.88 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.62 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 13 France 3.22 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 14 Bulgaria 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 15 Czechia 3.08 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 17 Hungary 2.91 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 18 Malawi 2.91 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 19 Serbia 2.76 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Germany
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0087 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 527.18 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6813 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1786 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Germany?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in Germany was 2.97 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 6.91 tonnes per square kilometre in 1988.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.51 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Germany rank for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre?
- Germany ranks 16th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Nitrogen fertilizer use divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Nitrogen fertilizer use ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Nitrogen fertilizer use Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Nitrogen fertilizer use divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.