Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland
Ireland: Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area was 10.78 kg/ha in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/ha.
Analysis
In 2023, biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland stood at 10.78 kg/ha.
The figure is up 28.9% on the previous year and up 258.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland peaked at 11.53 kg/ha in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.0107 kg/ha, in 1981.
Ireland ranks 62nd of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland, year by year
| Year | kg/ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.2538 kg/ha | — |
| 1962 | 0.4094 kg/ha | +61.3% |
| 1963 | 0.2862 kg/ha | -30.1% |
| 1964 | 0.2882 kg/ha | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 0.3063 kg/ha | +6.3% |
| 1966 | 0.3889 kg/ha | +27.0% |
| 1967 | 0.2768 kg/ha | -28.8% |
| 1968 | 0.2385 kg/ha | -13.8% |
| 1969 | 0.2699 kg/ha | +13.2% |
| 1970 | 0.2769 kg/ha | +2.6% |
| 1971 | 0.2943 kg/ha | +6.3% |
| 1972 | 0.1456 kg/ha | -50.5% |
| 1973 | 0.1177 kg/ha | -19.2% |
| 1974 | 0.1284 kg/ha | +9.1% |
| 1975 | 0.0124 kg/ha | -90.3% |
| 1976 | 0.0367 kg/ha | +196.0% |
| 1977 | 0.0113 kg/ha | -69.2% |
| 1978 | 0.0343 kg/ha | +203.5% |
| 1979 | 0.0422 kg/ha | +23.0% |
| 1980 | 0.0315 kg/ha | -25.4% |
| 1981 | 0.0107 kg/ha | -66.0% |
| 1982 | 0.1435 kg/ha | +1241.1% |
| 1983 | 0.1441 kg/ha | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 0.1499 kg/ha | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 0.1556 kg/ha | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 0.1294 kg/ha | -16.8% |
| 1987 | 0.1376 kg/ha | +6.3% |
| 1988 | 1.43 kg/ha | +940.1% |
| 1989 | 1.55 kg/ha | +8.2% |
| 1990 | 1.05 kg/ha | -32.2% |
| 1991 | 1.07 kg/ha | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 1.8 kg/ha | +67.9% |
| 1993 | 3.2 kg/ha | +77.7% |
| 1994 | 3.14 kg/ha | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 3.24 kg/ha | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 3.36 kg/ha | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 3.15 kg/ha | -6.3% |
| 1998 | 4.5 kg/ha | +43.1% |
| 1999 | 2.46 kg/ha | -45.3% |
| 2000 | 0.9378 kg/ha | -61.9% |
| 2001 | 1.15 kg/ha | +22.9% |
| 2002 | 0.9338 kg/ha | -19.0% |
| 2003 | 1.53 kg/ha | +63.4% |
| 2004 | 1.6 kg/ha | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 2.3 kg/ha | +43.6% |
| 2006 | 2.57 kg/ha | +11.8% |
| 2007 | 1.68 kg/ha | -34.5% |
| 2008 | 1.39 kg/ha | -17.2% |
| 2009 | 2.86 kg/ha | +105.2% |
| 2010 | 3.36 kg/ha | +17.8% |
| 2011 | 2.1 kg/ha | -37.7% |
| 2012 | 2.5 kg/ha | +19.2% |
| 2013 | 3 kg/ha | +20.2% |
| 2014 | 2.62 kg/ha | -12.9% |
| 2015 | 9.01 kg/ha | +244.3% |
| 2016 | 9.26 kg/ha | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 11.53 kg/ha | +24.5% |
| 2018 | 3.39 kg/ha | -70.6% |
| 2019 | 5.67 kg/ha | +67.2% |
| 2020 | 8.65 kg/ha | +52.6% |
| 2021 | 7.17 kg/ha | -17.1% |
| 2022 | 8.36 kg/ha | +16.7% |
| 2023 | 10.78 kg/ha | +28.9% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 10.78 kg/ha is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.23 kg/ha, 3.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 10.78 kg/ha is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.06 kg/ha, 3.5× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | +1241.1% | 0.0107 kg/ha | 0.1435 kg/ha |
| 1988 | +940.1% | 0.1376 kg/ha | 1.43 kg/ha |
| 2015 | +244.3% | 2.62 kg/ha | 9.01 kg/ha |
| 1978 | +203.5% | 0.0113 kg/ha | 0.0343 kg/ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.302 kg/ha | 0.2385 kg/ha | 0.4094 kg/ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.11 kg/ha | 0.0113 kg/ha | 0.2943 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3883 kg/ha | 0.0107 kg/ha | 1.55 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7 kg/ha | 1.05 kg/ha | 4.5 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.69 kg/ha | 0.9338 kg/ha | 2.86 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.24 kg/ha | 2.1 kg/ha | 11.53 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.74 kg/ha | 7.17 kg/ha | 10.78 kg/ha | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More environment data for Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.412 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.13 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.0083 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland?
- Biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland was 10.78 kg/ha in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 11.53 kg/ha in 2017.
- What is the lowest biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0107 kg/ha in 1981.
- How does Ireland rank for biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area?
- Ireland ranks 62nd out of 176 countries with data for 2023.
- Is biological fixation — cropland nitrogen per unit area rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 258.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Biological fixation — Cropland nitrogen per unit area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The Cropland Nutrient balance domain contains information on the flows of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from mineral fertilizer, manure applied, atmospheric deposition, crop removal, and biological fixation over cropland and per unit area of cropland. The flows are aggregated to total inputs and total outputs, from which the overall nutrient balance and nutrient use efficiency on cropland are calculated. Statistics are disseminated in units of tonnes and in kg/ha, as appropriate. Nutrient use efficiency is expressed as a fraction (%).