Average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Ireland

Ireland: Average nitrate concentration in freshwater was 12.13 milligrams per litre in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
12.13 milligrams per litre
Change on year
down 6.2%
Rank
22nd
of 34 regions
All-time high
22.53 milligrams per litre
in 1993
All-time low
11.01 milligrams per litre
in 2009
Years of data
30
1992–2021

Average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Ireland, 1992–2021

05101520251992200620211992: 22.4 milligrams per litre1993: 22.5 milligrams per litre1994: 17.5 milligrams per litre1995: 17.4 milligrams per litre1996: 18.8 milligrams per litre1997: 18.2 milligrams per litre1998: 18.1 milligrams per litre1999: 17.1 milligrams per litre2000: 16.7 milligrams per litre2001: 16.6 milligrams per litre2002: 16.8 milligrams per litre2003: 16.7 milligrams per litre2004: 17.3 milligrams per litre2005: 17.1 milligrams per litre2006: 17.3 milligrams per litre2007: 17.2 milligrams per litre2008: 14.3 milligrams per litre2009: 11 milligrams per litre2010: 13.8 milligrams per litre2011: 13.7 milligrams per litre2012: 12.3 milligrams per litre2013: 12.3 milligrams per litre2014: 14.8 milligrams per litre2015: 12.5 milligrams per litre2016: 11.8 milligrams per litre2017: 11.6 milligrams per litre2018: 12.5 milligrams per litre2019: 13.4 milligrams per litre2020: 12.9 milligrams per litre2021: 12.1 milligrams per litre

Source: European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in milligrams per litre.

Analysis

The most recent figure for average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Ireland is 12.13 milligrams per litre, measured in 2021.

The figure is down 6.2% on the previous year and down 11.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Ireland peaked at 22.53 milligrams per litre in 1993 and was at its lowest, 11.01 milligrams per litre, in 2009.

Ireland ranks 22nd of 34 regions on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 19.01 milligrams per litre 17.11 milligrams per litre 22.53 milligrams per litre 8
2000s 16.09 milligrams per litre 11.01 milligrams per litre 17.26 milligrams per litre 10
2010s 12.87 milligrams per litre 11.62 milligrams per litre 14.82 milligrams per litre 10
2020s 12.53 milligrams per litre 12.13 milligrams per litre 12.94 milligrams per litre 2

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 19 Slovakia 15.66 milligrams per litre compare
  2. 20 Turkey 15.26 milligrams per litre compare
  3. 21 Cyprus 14.59 milligrams per litre compare
  4. 23 Serbia 11.8 milligrams per litre compare
  5. 24 Estonia 11.26 milligrams per litre compare
  6. 25 Poland 8.62 milligrams per litre compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More environment data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Ireland?
Average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Ireland was 12.13 milligrams per litre in 2021, according to European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest average nitrate concentration in freshwater recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 22.53 milligrams per litre in 1993.
What is the lowest average nitrate concentration in freshwater recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 11.01 milligrams per litre in 2009.
How does Ireland rank for average nitrate concentration in freshwater?
Ireland ranks 22nd out of 34 regions with data for 2021.
Is average nitrate concentration in freshwater rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average nitrate concentration in freshwater. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Average nitrate concentration in freshwater
Unit
milligrams per litre
Source
European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
34 places, 655 data points, 1992–2021
Last refreshed

Average annual concentration of nitrate in groundwater.