In 2022, the amount of mineral fertilizers (nitrogen and phosphorus) used in agricultural production in the EU was 9.8 million tonnes.

This represented a sharp decrease of 10.3% compared to the amount used in 2021 and a cumulative decrease of 15.9% from the relative peak in 2017.

The reduction in the EU's use of mineral fertilizers in 2022 was partially associated with the sharp increase in fertilizer prices as a result of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions against Russia, as highlighted in the Commission's communication on food systems.

Regarding mineral fertilizers, the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in EU agricultural production was reduced to approximately 8.9 million tonnes in 2022, equivalent to an annual decrease of 9.4%.

The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in agriculture was highest in those countries which are also among the EU's main agricultural producers, particularly France (2.0 million tonnes) and Germany (1.1 million tonnes).

In 2022, the use of phosphorus-based fertilizers in EU agriculture was 0.9 million tonnes. This equated to a decrease of 17.9% compared to the amount used in 2021.

The countries with the highest use of phosphorus-based fertilizers in agriculture in 2022 were France, Spain, Italy, and Romania. Together, they accounted for approximately half of the EU's total use, according to Eurostat's latest bulletin on the subject.