Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre was 3.6 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3.6 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
10th
of 195 countries
All-time high
6.82 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1986
All-time low
2.05 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in United Kingdom, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in United Kingdom stood at 3.6 tonnes per square kilometre.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and down 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in United Kingdom peaked at 6.82 tonnes per square kilometre in 1986 and was at its lowest, 2.05 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
United Kingdom ranks 10th of 195 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.05 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 2.24 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.0% |
| 1963 | 2.41 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 1964 | 2.46 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 2.85 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.7% |
| 1966 | 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 1967 | 3.76 tonnes per square kilometre | +19.6% |
| 1968 | 3.54 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.9% |
| 1969 | 2.85 tonnes per square kilometre | -19.3% |
| 1970 | 3.31 tonnes per square kilometre | +16.0% |
| 1971 | 3.84 tonnes per square kilometre | +16.1% |
| 1972 | 3.26 tonnes per square kilometre | -15.1% |
| 1973 | 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 1974 | 3.83 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1975 | 4.32 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.7% |
| 1976 | 4.59 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 1977 | 4.87 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1978 | 5.05 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1979 | 5.43 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.5% |
| 1980 | 5.13 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 1981 | 5.73 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.8% |
| 1982 | 6.45 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.6% |
| 1983 | 6.62 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 6.53 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 6.5 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 6.82 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1987 | 6.3 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.6% |
| 1988 | 6.26 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 6.54 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 6.27 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.2% |
| 1991 | 5.64 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.0% |
| 1992 | 5.04 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.7% |
| 1993 | 5.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 5.53 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.4% |
| 1995 | 5.49 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 6 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.3% |
| 1997 | 5.63 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.1% |
| 1998 | 5.32 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 1999 | 5.24 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 4.61 tonnes per square kilometre | -12.1% |
| 2001 | 4.95 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 2002 | 4.95 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4.67 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.5% |
| 2004 | 4.65 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 4.39 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 4.15 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.5% |
| 2007 | 4.17 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 4.14 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 3.92 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.3% |
| 2010 | 4.2 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 2011 | 4.22 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 4.13 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 4.13 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 4.38 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 4.34 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 4.24 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 4.3 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 4.27 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 4.29 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 4 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.8% |
| 2021 | 4.19 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 3.56 tonnes per square kilometre | -15.0% |
| 2023 | 3.6 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 3.6 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.7098 tonnes per square kilometre, 5.1× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 3.6 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.32 tonnes per square kilometre, 2.7× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.81 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.05 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.76 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.21 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.26 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.43 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.29 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.13 tonnes per square kilometre | 6.82 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.53 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.04 tonnes per square kilometre | 6.27 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.46 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.92 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.95 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.25 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.13 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.38 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.84 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.56 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.19 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 7 Denmark 4.9 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 8 Ireland 4.07 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 9 Poland 3.77 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 11 Luxembourg 3.53 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 12 Belgium 3.5 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 13 France 3.22 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for United Kingdom
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0064 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 368.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1852 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1668 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in United Kingdom?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre in United Kingdom was 3.6 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 6.82 tonnes per square kilometre in 1986.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.05 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does United Kingdom rank for nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre?
- United Kingdom ranks 10th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use, per square kilometre rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.