World nitrogen fertilizer consumption
Nitrogen is the most consumed nutrient, due to its important role in crop production. Indeed, N is an important component of many structural, genetic and metabolic compounds in plant cells.
Urea (46-0-0) is currently the most popular N fertilizer source with about 54 percent of the world market and represents the major sectoral growth in the nitrogen industry. The growth in demand has stimulated a growth in production.
World phosphate fertilizer consumption
The trend in phosphate consumption by product shows that diammonium phosphate (DAP) is the most consumed P fertilizer worldwide, representing than 50% of the market, due to its high P and N concentration. The single superphosphare (SSP) used to be the leading product but it has been bypassed by high-analysis P fertilizers, such as ammonium phosphates (like DAP).
World potash consumption
The most used K fertilizer product worldwide is potassium chloride, also known as muriate of potash (MOP). It accounts for almost 70 percent of all demand for K fertilizers. In some countries, such as the United States, Brazil or India, it accounts for more than 90 percent of all K fertilizer sold.
Fertilizer composition
Common names | N | P2O5 | K2O | S | MgO |
| Nutrients as % of product | |||||
| Nitrogen fertilizers | |||||
| Ammonia | 82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ammonium sulphate | 21 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Ammonium nitrate | 33-34.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calcium ammonium nitrate | 20.4-27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Urea | 45-46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Phosphate fertilizers | |||||
| Single superphosphate | 0 | 16-20 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Triple superphosphate | 0 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Diammonium phosphate | 18 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Monoammonium phosphate | 11 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ground rock phosphate | 0 | 20-40 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Potash fertilizers | |||||
| Muriate of potash (potassium chloride) | 0 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
| Sulphate of potash | 0 | 0 | 50 | 18 | 0 |
| Sulphate of potash magnesia | 0 | 0 | 22-30 | 17-22 | 10-11 |
| Magnesium fertilizers | |||||
| Kieserite | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20-22 | 25-27 |
| Epsom salt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12-13 | 15-16 |
| Complex fertilizers | |||||
| NPK fertilizers | 5-25 | 5-25 | 5-25 | * | * |
| NP fertilizers | 15-25 | 15-25 | 0 | * | 0 |
| NK fertilizers | 13-25 | 0 | 15-46 | * | 0 |
| PK fertilizers | 0 | 7-30 | 10-30 | * | * |
* some with S and/or Mg and/or micronutrients Note: the above numbers represent the average range of nutrient content in commercially available fertilizers | |||||