Coverage

IFA publishes annual country-level data for all available supply and consumption indicators, as well as quarterly and half-yearly data for selected indicators.

Annual supply and apparent consumption data is published nine months after the end of the period in order to comply with antitrust guidelines. The most recently available sub-annual (quarterly and half-yearly) data is published first at an aggregated regional level, and after a nine month lag, country-level data is then released, also to comply with antitrust guidelines. Regional aggregations covering most recent periods are available to members via the Reports & analysis section of the website.

For production and trade data published on a quarterly or half-yearly basis, a partial sample is used, and residual periods may be calculated, e.g. [annual] – [H1] = [H2].

IFA publishes supply and consumption data covering fertilizer raw materials, intermediates and finished products for all uses including plant nutrition and industrial applications.  

Fertilizer consumption data refers exclusively to fertilizer products used for plant nutrition purposes, including applications to crops, pasture, forests, fish ponds, turf, and ornamentals. This data is collected separately from apparent consumption (covering all uses) owing to different methodologies needed for each sector. More details can be found on our Methodology page.  

Indicators available in IFASTAT include capacity, production, imports, exports, home deliveries, apparent consumption and fertilizer consumption.  

IFA provides detailed product coverage of markets with well-defined product specifications or clearly defined codes under the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System. Coverage varies by indicator and product, reflecting differences in market concentration, structure, and data availability.  

For certain indicators, the list of products covered may be more limited due to market concentration or data collection challenges that prevent full market coverage. Smaller or emerging product markets may therefore be updated on a periodic basis rather than annually. More details can be found in our Publication schedule. Where available, these data are published in the Reports & analysis section of the website. 

IFA publishes country-level data within ten regional groupings aligned with the conventions applied by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). These regional groupings are used consistently across all data available on IFASTAT. Small volumes may be attributed to a "Various - Others" category to reflect apparent consumption residuals and in order to balance trade matrices. 

Regional groupings presented in IFA reports and databases do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IFA concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or of its authorities. IFA generates and cites maps produced using third-party tools and does not express a view on international boundaries, which may be subject to unresolved claims by multiple jurisdictions. 

To support the publication of aggregated quarterly and half-yearly data, IFA conducts sub-annual surveys reflecting partial market volumes, with more than 85% of trade volumes covered in most major product markets.  

IFA makes data available to members for as long of a historical time series as can be reasonably provided, subject to data quality and methodological consistency. Product-level supply and trade data is available from 2000, while product-level fertilizer consumption data is available from 1973 and nutrient totals from 1961.   

For some indicators, summary data series may extend further back in time than detailed breakdowns. For example, long-run nutrient fertilizer consumption data are available prior to the introduction of a detailed product classification. Detailed data is available via the Data query tool for the period covered, while pre-compiled summaries are available through the fertilizer consumption page. 

Annual fertilizer consumption data is presented by fertilizer year, which reflects a blend of calendar year and locally defined fertilizer application years. This approach ensures consistency with agronomic practices across regions. More details can be found on our Methodology page.

IFA presents data in both product and nutrient tonnes. All volumes are expressed in thousand metric tonnes. Product tonnes refer to the physical weight of the product in question, while nutrient tonnes reflect the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P₂O₅) and potassium (K₂O) content of the product.  

Major commodity fertilizers typically have fixed nutrient contents or narrow ranges in composition, allowing reliable conversion between product and nutrient units. In contrast, compound and specialty fertilizers may encompass a wide range of nutrient formulations, which can vary significantly by product category and country.  

Fertilizer consumption data is collected and processed in nutrient tonnes and is designed to be analysed in this format. Product tonne equivalents are provided for major fertilizers but not for compound fertilizers due to variability in nutrient content. 

Unless explicitly marked as being for public distribution, all data, statistics and other information compiled by the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) are reserved for members. Organizations may apply for IFA membership by contacting the Secretariat. Access to and use of IFA’s data is expressly reserved and strictly subject to a Data License Agreement. Under no conditions do members have the right to reproduce or circulate IFA data or other information to non-members, except to the extent expressly permitted under an executed Data License Agreement.