# Nitrogen (ammonia): Stocks

Unlimited air, so the real reserve is gas

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/stocks/

What this tab covers How much is left and how much is held. For minerals and energy: reserves, current output, years of supply and recycling for the top five countries. For farm commodities: production, ending stocks and stocks-to-use for the top five producers (USDA, October 2026). It also covers inventories and stockpiles.

#### Top five countries: reserves, output and years of supply

| Country | Reserves not applicable (atmospheric nitrogen is unlimited) | Current output kt N content (ammonia plant production, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **China** | – | 49,000 | – | n/a |
| **India** | – | 15,000 | – | n/a |
| **Russia** | – | 15,000 | – | n/a |
| **United States** | – | 14,000 | – | n/a |
| **Indonesia** | – | 6,000 | – | n/a |

 USGS MCS 2026, Nitrogen (Fixed)-Ammonia (world plant production table). Years of supply = reserves ÷ current output; reserves grow as prices and technology change, so this is not a countdown.

#### Recycling

Fixed nitrogen is not recycled as a commodity: USGS lists US recycling as 'None', and nitrogen is not assessed in the EU CRM end-of-life recycling tables. Manure and legume rotations return some N to soils. The real 'reserve' is the gas or coal behind each plant. Inventories are seasonal: US producer stocks were 440 kt N at end-2025 (USGS); India held 7.51 Mt of urea at end-August 2026, 78% more than a year earlier (Fertilizer Daily). Neither the US nor India keeps a strategic stockpile.

Nitrogen has no reserves in the usual sense. USGS treats atmospheric nitrogen as unlimited and gas supplies as adequate, so reserve life is not meaningful. The real stock is the natural gas behind each plant. Ammonia and urea are stored seasonally ahead of spring planting. US producer stocks were 440 kt N at end-2025, small against 15 Mt of annual consumption. Nitrogen is not recycled as a commodity, though manure and legume rotations return some to soils. There are no strategic fertiliser stockpiles in the US.

USGS reports no recycling of fixed nitrogen.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/links/index.md)