Fertilizer consumption

Fertilizer consumption measures the quantity of plant nutrients and is calculated as production plus imports minus exports. Fertilizer products cover nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers (including ground rock phosphate). Traditional nutrients--animal and plant manures--are not included. Because some chemical compounds used for fertilizers have other industrial applications, the consumption data may overstate the quantity available for crops. Fertilizer consumption as a share of production shows the agriculture sector's vulnerability to import and energy price fluctuation. Most fertilizers that are commonly used in agriculture contain the three basic plant nutrients-nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Some fertilizers also contain certain micronutrients such as zinc and other metals that are necessary for plant growth. Materials that are applied to the land primarily to enhance soil characteristics (rather than as plant food) are commonly referred to as soil amendments.

Publisher
World Bank
Unit
Cadence
Annual
Series
115
Licence
CC BY 4.0
Updated
2026-09-06

Provenance

Who produced these figures, as World Bank declares it — not inferred, and each line says which published field it was read from.

  1. Produced by

    Food and Agriculture Organization

    FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

    declared by worldbank in sourceOrganization

  2. Read from

    World Bank

    World Development Indicators

    declared by worldbank in source

Latest observations

CountryPeriodValueUnit
Afghanistan2023324.29percent
Algeria202314.48percent
Argentina2023345.37percent
Australia2023409.51percent
Azerbaijan202355.04percent
Bangladesh2023667.52percent
Belarus202312.68percent
Belgium202321.01percent
Brazil2023718.30percent
Bulgaria202382.73percent

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Fertilizer consumption · World Bank · Interva