Use of fertilisers in EU agriculture down 10% in 2022

In 2022, the quantity of mineral fertilisers (nitrogen and phosphorus) used in agricultural production across the EU was 9.8 million tonnes. This represented a sharp decline of 10.3% compared with the quantity used in 2021, and a cumulative decline of 15.9% from the relative peak in 2017.

Source dataset: aei_fm_usefert

The decline in the EU’s use of mineral fertilisers in 2022 was in part associated with the sharp rise in fertiliser prices following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and the application of sanctions on Russia, as outlined in the Commission communication Safeguarding food security and reinforcing the resilience of food systems. 

Within mineral fertilisers, the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers in EU agricultural production was reduced to an estimated 8.9 million tonnes in 2022, equivalent to a year-on-year decrease of 9.4%.

The use of nitrogen-based fertilisers in agriculture was highest in those countries that are also among the EU’s main agricultural producers, particularly France (2.0 million tonnes) and Germany (1.1 million tonnes).

In 2022, the use of phosphorus fertilisers in EU agriculture was 0.9 million tonnes. This was equivalent to a decline of 17.9% compared with the amount used in 2021.

The countries with the highest use of phosphorus-based fertilisers in agriculture in 2022 were France, Spain, Italy and Romania; together, they accounted for about half of the EU’s total use.