Nitrogen Fertilizer Market - Strategic Insights and Forecasts (2026-2031)

Nitrogen Fertilizer Market Size:

Nitrogen Fertilizer Market, with a 4.98% CAGR, is expected to grow to USD 94.606 billion in 2031 from USD 70.693 billion in 2025.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Market Highlights

Nitrogen Fertilizer Market Overview

Nitrogen fertilizer is a form of fertilizer that consists of nitrogen-rich substances. Nitrogen fertilizer offers multiple benefits in the agricultural sector. It helps boost crop quality and encourages foliage growth. It also increases the plant's immune system and raises the crop’s resilience. Hence, nitrogen is one of the most crucial components for plant growth. Although it is naturally present in the atmosphere, relatively few plants can absorb it. It is, therefore, given to the plants synthetically in the form of nitrogenous fertilizers. In 2020, between 720 and 811 million people experienced hunger (Source: un.org). Global population growth has led to a need to increase crop yields annually to feed the growing population, which has strengthened the global agriculture industry. The agricultural sector has seen an increase in demand for nitrogenous fertilizers due to the need to feed different food crops properly to increase yield.

The increasing global production of crops is boosting the nitrogen fertilizer market expansion worldwide during the forecasted timeline. The US Department of Agriculture, in its report, stated that in the USA, the production of wheat and rice was recorded at 49,095 and 6,031 thousand tons, respectively, in 2023-24, which will reach 53,650 and 6,979 thousand tons, respectively, in 2024-25. Similarly, the production of rice in India and China was recorded at 137,825 and 144,620 thousand tons, respectively, in 2023-24. The production of wheat in India and China was recorded at 110,554 and 136,590 thousand tons, respectively.

Some of the major companies include OCI N.V., CF Industries Holdings, Inc., and Haifa Negev Technologies LTD.

• OCI N.V. is a global nitrogen fertilizers producer that also offers specialized engineering and construction services. The company offers various products and solutions for agriculture, industries, and methanol, among others.

• CF Industries Holdings, Inc. is an American fertilizer manufacturer. The company offers a wide range of agricultural fertilizers, including ammonia, urea, and ammonium nitrate, among others.

• Haifa Negev Technologies LTD, a part of the Haifa Group, is a global manufacturer of potassium and nitrate solutions for the agricultural sector. The company offers plant nutrition and industrial solutions like solar, technical KNO3, micronutrients, and biostimulants, among others.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Market Growth Drivers:

• Growing demand for fertilizers.

Farmers worldwide utilize a specific quantity of synthetic or chemical fertilizers to increase production. Over 60% of the synthetic nitrogen fertilizer sprayed on crops washes away and contaminates our waterways or the atmosphere. However, in recent years, a rising desire for organic foods that are produced primarily with natural ingredients or biofertilizers or without any synthetic or chemical components has been noticed. Developing nations worldwide are finally realizing the benefits of employing organic nitrogen fertilizers in agricultural productivity. For instance, leading nitrogen innovator Pivot Bio joined the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) as an Innovation Sprint Partner, pledging at least $291 million in funding for product development over four years to hasten the adoption of climate-resilient microbial nitrogen fertilizers. The nitrogen fertilizer business will expand sustainably if microbial nitrogen fertilizer can permanently and instantly reduce GHG emissions while providing benefits to watershed health, biodiversity, and farmer margins.

• The rising crop production 

The demand for nourishing, secure, and inexpensive food to feed the expanding population is predicted to grow, driving the global market for nitrogenous fertilizer. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao.org), the global production of primary crops climbed by 52 percent between 2000 and 2020, reaching 9.3 billion tons in 2020. It is believed that using the best nitrogen fertilizers would unlock the crop's great yield potential. Increased commercial farming and low-cost fertilizer production are anticipated to increase nitrogen fertilizer demand. The market is also anticipated to increase due to decreasing cropland and rising precision farming, including drip and sprinkler irrigation.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Market Segmentation Analysis

• Urea will witness significant growth

The global nitrogen fertilizer market is segmented by type into anhydrous ammonia, urea, ammonium sulfate, and ammonium nitrate. Among other nitrogenous fertilizers, urea is one of the least expensive and is easily soluble in water. The increased concentration of nitrogen and cheaper urea prices are responsible for the rise of the nitrogenous fertilizer business. Due to its extremely high nitrogen concentration (46%), urea is regarded as the most important nitrogenous fertilizer. Rapid hydrolysis of urea takes place with extensive volatilization and formation of ammonium carbonate so that large amounts of ammonia are lost. Placing excessive amounts of urea close to seeds may cause ammonia injury to seedlings because urea hydrolyzes rapidly. So, it becomes very important to position the urea fertilizers concerning the seeds.

Moreover, urea is a commonly used fertilizer and animal feed worldwide. For example, this material has around 46% nitrogen, an essential nutrient for crop growth and development since crops need nitrogen to grow healthy and leafy. Healthy products will develop based on increased crop yields due to the effective application of appropriate technology for improvement in the outputs of these crops. It is highly important to introduce efficient technologies to enhance crop output due to decreases in soil fertility from natural and manmade factors and an increase in population, leading to a rising demand for products. This has also increased the production of urea. For instance, as per the FAI Delhi, the production increased to 2,492.8 thousand tonnes in March 2024 from 2,380.3 thousand tonnes in March 2023 in India.

Further, developments in urea production technology have greatly increased market expansion. The technologies reduce the cost of production, improve urea quality and consistency, and stimulate an interest in using the product for industrial as well as agricultural environment applications. Such advances are driving the urea market’s growth. For instance, in July 2024, Linggu Chemical Co. Ltd. selected NEXTCHEM, a branch of MAIRE, to improve the energy efficiency level of the 3,100 metric tons per day urea facility in China through its subsidiary Stamicarbon. The necessary process design and licensing will be offered by NEXTCHEM. The project will take advantage of the Advanced MP Flash Design technology under the EVOLVE EnergyTM brand to improve feedstock and steam utilization, reducing energy consumption by up to 20% in the plant.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Market Geographical Outlook:

• Asia Pacific is projected to hold a prominent market share

Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the largest market shareholder in the nitrogenous fertilizers industry. The expansion is ascribed to more land that may be used for farming, a more hospitable climate, and a greater rural population. China purchases almost one-third of the total global product consumption and is the world's largest consumer of goods. By enabling a greater rise in non-grain and grain yields, these fertilizers are critical in preserving China's ability to feed its people. The main food crops grown in the nation are barley, rice, soybeans, potatoes, tea, wheat, millet, tomatoes, cotton, and peanuts.

North America is anticipated to be the second-largest market. 

The nitrogen fertilizers market is anticipated to be the second largest in North America, which is led by the US. The rising need for ammonium nitrate in Europe drives the nitrogenous fertilizers market size. The country's growing population raises the demand for both high-quality and high-quantity crop production. There is a nitrogenous fertilizer demand because the increased agriculture in the United States must compensate for the growing population's food needs. Nitrogenous fertilizers increase production capacity in agriculture for specific nutrients added to crops.

Moreover, the demand for safe, wholesome food, empowered by people's increasing realization of the need for a healthy food supply, is one of the reasons for the nitrogen fertilizer application in agriculture. In this sector, nitrogen fertilizers are employed for restoring and maintaining soil nutrition critical for the growth and production of quality crops. Further, rising food demand has increased the use of fertilizers, leading to a high demand for ammonia production. For instance, as per the U.S. Geological Survey, ammonia production increased from 13,800 metric tonnes in 2022 to 14,000 metric tonnes in 2023 in the United States.

However, due to market saturation, the Europe and North America regions are projected to have a balanced growth regime over the projection period. In contrast, because of the enormous demand for rice, maize, and sugarcane in Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, it is predicted that these regions will experience rapid expansion of the nitrogenous fertilizer industry in the coming years.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Market Key Developments

• In July 2024, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and POET LLC announced a collaboration to pilot the use of low-carbon ammonia fertilizer to reduce the carbon intensity of corn production and ethanol. This would create a low-carbon ethanol value chain.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Market Segmentation:

• By Type

  • Anhydrous ammonia

  • Urea

  • Ammonium sulfate

  • Ammonium nitrate

• By Form

  • Dry

  • Liquid

• By Geography

  • North America

    • USA

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

    • Others

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • France

    • United Kingdom

    • Spain

    • Others

  • Middle East and Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

    • Others

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • South Korea

    • Indonesia

    • Thailand

    • Others