Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland
Ireland: Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area was 187.39 kg/ha in 2023. ▲ Rising
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kg/ha.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland is 187.39 kg/ha, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 2.3% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland peaked at 290.76 kg/ha in 1994 and was at its lowest, 18.57 kg/ha, in 1962.
That places Ireland 14th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland, year by year
| Year | kg/ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 19.2 kg/ha | — |
| 1962 | 18.57 kg/ha | -3.3% |
| 1963 | 27.16 kg/ha | +46.2% |
| 1964 | 33.95 kg/ha | +25.0% |
| 1965 | 38 kg/ha | +11.9% |
| 1966 | 56.79 kg/ha | +49.4% |
| 1967 | 51.85 kg/ha | -8.7% |
| 1968 | 49.42 kg/ha | -4.7% |
| 1969 | 58.3 kg/ha | +18.0% |
| 1970 | 64.7 kg/ha | +11.0% |
| 1971 | 64.56 kg/ha | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 90.17 kg/ha | +39.7% |
| 1973 | 103.19 kg/ha | +14.4% |
| 1974 | 111.28 kg/ha | +7.8% |
| 1975 | 123.9 kg/ha | +11.3% |
| 1976 | 126.9 kg/ha | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 127.01 kg/ha | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 147.11 kg/ha | +15.8% |
| 1979 | 133.01 kg/ha | -9.6% |
| 1980 | 132.13 kg/ha | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 133.73 kg/ha | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 137.88 kg/ha | +3.1% |
| 1983 | 169.75 kg/ha | +23.1% |
| 1984 | 141.5 kg/ha | -16.6% |
| 1985 | 160.8 kg/ha | +13.6% |
| 1986 | 203.77 kg/ha | +26.7% |
| 1987 | 188.25 kg/ha | -7.6% |
| 1988 | 203.35 kg/ha | +8.0% |
| 1989 | 230.78 kg/ha | +13.5% |
| 1990 | 236.03 kg/ha | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 228 kg/ha | -3.4% |
| 1992 | 228.04 kg/ha | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 273.36 kg/ha | +19.9% |
| 1994 | 290.76 kg/ha | +6.4% |
| 1995 | 282.51 kg/ha | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 244.43 kg/ha | -13.5% |
| 1997 | 247.66 kg/ha | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 266.12 kg/ha | +7.5% |
| 1999 | 242.09 kg/ha | -9.0% |
| 2000 | 199.26 kg/ha | -17.7% |
| 2001 | 191.96 kg/ha | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 199.3 kg/ha | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 188.18 kg/ha | -5.6% |
| 2004 | 164.01 kg/ha | -12.8% |
| 2005 | 194.32 kg/ha | +18.5% |
| 2006 | 197.41 kg/ha | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 188.59 kg/ha | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 156.75 kg/ha | -16.9% |
| 2009 | 214.64 kg/ha | +36.9% |
| 2010 | 207.46 kg/ha | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 155.66 kg/ha | -25.0% |
| 2012 | 193.45 kg/ha | +24.3% |
| 2013 | 186.13 kg/ha | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 180.17 kg/ha | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 188.06 kg/ha | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 210.58 kg/ha | +12.0% |
| 2017 | 222.98 kg/ha | +5.9% |
| 2018 | 252.34 kg/ha | +13.2% |
| 2019 | 216.51 kg/ha | -14.2% |
| 2020 | 246.6 kg/ha | +13.9% |
| 2021 | 233.66 kg/ha | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 191.84 kg/ha | -17.9% |
| 2023 | 187.39 kg/ha | -2.3% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 187.39 kg/ha is above the median for high income countries, which is 61.42 kg/ha, 3.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 187.39 kg/ha is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 59.9 kg/ha, 3.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 39.25 kg/ha | 18.57 kg/ha | 58.3 kg/ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 109.18 kg/ha | 64.56 kg/ha | 147.11 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 170.19 kg/ha | 132.13 kg/ha | 230.78 kg/ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 253.9 kg/ha | 228 kg/ha | 290.76 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 189.44 kg/ha | 156.75 kg/ha | 214.64 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 201.33 kg/ha | 155.66 kg/ha | 252.34 kg/ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 214.87 kg/ha | 187.39 kg/ha | 246.6 kg/ha | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 11 Qatar 204.72 kg/ha compare
- 11 United Republic of Tanzania 10.19 kg/ha compare
- 12 Barbados 201.71 kg/ha compare
- 12 Cabo Verde 40.5 kg/ha compare
- 13 Suriname 191.97 kg/ha compare
- 14 Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.4255 kg/ha compare
- 15 Republic of Korea 186.66 kg/ha compare
- 15 Syrian Arab Republic -2.84 kg/ha compare
- 16 Egypt 185.69 kg/ha compare
- 16 Melanesia -10.16 kg/ha compare
- 17 Uzbekistan 178 kg/ha compare
- 17 Polynesia -14.34 kg/ha compare
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 nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland?
- Nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area in Ireland was 187.39 kg/ha in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 290.76 kg/ha in 1994.
- What is the lowest nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.57 kg/ha in 1962.
- How does Ireland rank for nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area?
- Ireland ranks 14th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nutrient balance — cropland nitrogen per unit area rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Nutrient balance — 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 (%).