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Food and agriculture ยท ranked by Nitrogen fertilizer use

Countries using the most nitrogen fertilizer

50 ranked ยท updated 2026-11-02
Number oneChina24.5k thousand tonnes
Ranking by Nitrogen fertilizer use
#NameNitrogen fertilizer useChange
1
China
24.5k thousand tonnesnew
220.5k thousand tonnesnew
311.4k thousand tonnesnew
46,404.48 thousand tonnesnew
53,808.78 thousand tonnesnew
63,116 thousand tonnesnew
72,984.94 thousand tonnesnew
82,684.04 thousand tonnesnew
92,210.57 thousand tonnesnew
102,150.33 thousand tonnesnew
Show positions 11โ€“50
111,948.19 thousand tonnesnew
121,764.7 thousand tonnesnew
131,733.62 thousand tonnesnew
141,498.94 thousand tonnesnew
151,365.63 thousand tonnesnew
161,276.5 thousand tonnesnew
171,259.48 thousand tonnesnew
181,156.12 thousand tonnesnew
191,038.86 thousand tonnesnew
20993.6 thousand tonnesnew
21961.19 thousand tonnesnew
22903.19 thousand tonnesnew
23871 thousand tonnesnew
24773.01 thousand tonnesnew
25653.34 thousand tonnesnew
26569.43 thousand tonnesnew
27547.26 thousand tonnesnew
28510.58 thousand tonnesnew
29490.81 thousand tonnesnew
30463.66 thousand tonnesnew
31426.13 thousand tonnesnew
32420.64 thousand tonnesnew
33398.13 thousand tonnesnew
34369 thousand tonnesnew
35340.8 thousand tonnesnew
36337.6 thousand tonnesnew
37280.57 thousand tonnesnew
38273.99 thousand tonnesnew
39265.49 thousand tonnesnew
40258.33 thousand tonnesnew
41244.88 thousand tonnesnew
42237.6 thousand tonnesnew
43232.22 thousand tonnesnew
44232.09 thousand tonnesnew
45228.5 thousand tonnesnew
46222.21 thousand tonnesnew
47211.41 thousand tonnesnew
48201.84 thousand tonnesnew
49196.05 thousand tonnesnew
50189.28 thousand tonnesnew

History

How the top 10 has moved

Positions of today's top 10 across every published snapshot.

History appears once this ranking has at least two published snapshots.

About this ranking

Countries using the most nitrogen fertilizer, explained

Countries using the most nitrogen fertilizer is a live ranking of the top 50 entries in food and agriculture by Nitrogen fertilizer use, built from public data published by Our World in Data. It was last refreshed on 2026-11-02. This is the first published snapshot; from the next refresh onwards the page will also show movers, new entries and a rank history chart.

China currently holds #1 with 24.5k thousand tonnes. India is second with 20.5k thousand tonnes, which puts the leader 20% ahead. United States completes the top three with 11.4k thousand tonnes. Together the top three account for about 71% of the combined top-10 total, which gives a quick sense of how concentrated this ranking is.

How it is measured: The amount of nitrogen fertilizer used in agriculture, in tonnes. Our World in Data chart "fertilizer-use" (column nutrient_nitrogen_n__total__00003102__agricultural_use__005157__tonnes); most recent year per country within the last five years of data, regional aggregates excluded. Caveat: Years differ by country; the chart page documents the original source and its limitations. Data from Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0) and the sources it cites. The full top 50 is on this page, with positions 11 to 50 one click away, and each entry links to its own profile showing every ranking it appears in.

Use this page to check who is number one right now, compare any two entries head to head, or test yourself with the quiz, which asks you to name all ten in three minutes. Year-end archives are available for 2026, freezing the ranking as it stood at the close of each year. Top10Earth never estimates or edits a value: each number is fetched from its source, hashed, stored and ranked by software, then checked by a quality gate before it is published. If a refresh fails the gate, the previous snapshot stays live and the problem is reviewed by a person.

Frequently asked questions

Who is #1 in Countries using the most nitrogen fertilizer?
China is #1 with 24.5k thousand tonnes, as of 2026-11-02. India is #2.
How is Countries using the most nitrogen fertilizer ranked?
By Nitrogen fertilizer use. The amount of nitrogen fertilizer used in agriculture, in tonnes. Our World in Data chart "fertilizer-use" (column nutrient_nitrogen_n__total__00003102__agricultural_use__005157__tonnes); most recent year per country within the last five years of data, regional aggregates excluded.
How often is this ranking updated?
It refreshes on a fixed schedule from Our World in Data. The latest snapshot was captured on 2026-11-02.
Where does the data come from?
Our World in Data. Data from Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0) and the sources it cites. The raw payload for every refresh is stored unchanged so any number can be traced back.