In 2023, 9.3 million tonnes of mineral fertilisers - nitrogen and phosphorus - were used in agricultural production across the EU, newly-published figures by Eurostat show.

This represented a decline of 3.7% compared with the quantity used in 2022, and a cumulative decline of 20.5% from the relative peak in 2017.

This information comes from the latest data on the consumption of inorganic fertilisers, published by Eurostat.

Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers greatly enhance crop production, but excessive use may lead to nutrient leaching into the environment, contributing to environmental pollution, Eurostat said.

The use of nitrogen-based fertilisers in EU agricultural production was reduced to an estimated 8.3 million tonnes in 2023, equivalent to a year-on-year decrease of 3.8%.

The use of nitrogen-based fertilisers in agriculture was highest in the EU’s main agricultural producers, particularly France (1.7 million tonnes), along with Poland and Germany (1 million tonnes each). 

Turkey was included in the data, and it used 1.9 million tonnes.

Ireland had a usage of just over 280,000 tonnes.

In 2023, the use of phosphorus fertilisers in EU agriculture was 0.9 million tonnes.

This was equivalent to a decline of 2.2% compared with the amount used in 2022.

The countries with the highest use of phosphorus-based fertilisers in agriculture in 2023 included France, Poland, Germany, Spain, Italy and Romania.

Together, they accounted for nearly three-quarters of the EU’s total use. 

Ireland had a usage of around 30,000 tonnes.