According to Eurostat, in 2023, 9.3 million tonnes of mineral fertilizers (nitrogen and phosphorus) were used in agricultural production across the European Union. This represented a decrease of 3.7% compared to the amount used in 2022 and a cumulative decrease of 20.5% compared to the relative peak in 2017.

Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers significantly improve agricultural production, but excessive use can lead to nutrient leaching into the environment, contributing to environmental pollution. The use of nitrogen fertilisers in EU agricultural production has been reduced to around 8.3 million tonnes in 2023, representing an annual decline of 3.8%.

The use of nitrogen fertilisers in agriculture was highest in the main EU agricultural producing countries, particularly in France (1.7 million tonnes), Poland and Germany (1.0 million tonnes each).

In 2023, the use of phosphorus fertilisers in EU agriculture was 0.9 million tonnes, a decrease of 2.2% compared to the amount used in 2022. The countries with the highest use of phosphorus fertilisers in agriculture in 2023 were France, Poland, Germany, Spain, Italy and Romania; together, they accounted for almost three-quarters of total EU consumption.