Dutch Farmland Emits Three Times the EU Average of Ammonia
Silver Data Lab Research Desk · Statistical analysis · Published on 23 July 2026
- Data source
- Eurostat
- Reference period
- 2023
- Last updated
- 06 September 2026
Key estimates
- EU agriculture emitted 19.1 kg of ammonia per hectare of agricultural area in 2023.
- Malta records 139.7 kg per hectare, more than seven times the EU figure.
- The Netherlands records 55.5 kg and Cyprus 55.0 kg, both close to three times the EU level.
- Latvia records 6.4 kg, Estonia 9.0 kg, and Lithuania and Slovakia 11.1 kg each.
- Four Member States exceed 40 kg per hectare, and all four have intensive livestock sectors on small land areas.
A pollutant that comes almost entirely from farming
Ammonia is released when nitrogen in manure and fertiliser volatilises. Agriculture accounts for the overwhelming majority of it in the European Union, which makes this one of the few emissions series that is effectively a measure of one sector.
It matters because ammonia in the air forms fine particulates, which are the air pollutant most closely linked to mortality, and because deposited nitrogen damages sensitive habitats.
Measured per hectare of agricultural land, EU agriculture emitted 19.1 kg in 2023.
Intensity, not volume
Malta records 139.7 kg per hectare, more than seven times the EU figure. The Netherlands records 55.5 kg and Cyprus 55.0 kg. Belgium follows at 42.6 kg.
The common factor is a large livestock population on a small agricultural area. Malta has very little farmland and a concentrated livestock sector; the Netherlands has the Union's most intensive agriculture, producing 7.3% of EU agricultural output on about a twelfth of France's land.
Expressing emissions per hectare is what makes that visible. In absolute tonnes the largest emitters are France and Germany, because they have the most farmland. Per hectare they are unremarkable — France at 18.1 kg is below the EU figure.
Neither presentation is more correct. They answer different questions: absolute totals describe a country's contribution to the European burden, and per-hectare figures describe how hard each hectare is being worked.
The Dutch problem in one number
The Netherlands at 55.5 kg per hectare is the case with the most direct policy consequence. Dutch nitrogen deposition has been the subject of court rulings requiring reductions in livestock numbers, and this indicator is a reasonable proxy for what those rulings are about.
It also sits directly against the Dutch position elsewhere on this site: the Union's highest circular material use rate, its highest agricultural output per hectare, and its highest ammonia emissions per hectare. Intensity produces all three, and the same efficiency that generates the output generates the emissions.
The low end
Latvia records 6.4 kg per hectare, Estonia 9.0 kg, Lithuania 11.1 kg and Slovakia 11.1 kg.
The Baltic states have extensive agriculture on large land areas with comparatively small livestock populations, which is the mirror image of the Dutch position. Their organic shares are also among the Union's highest — Estonia at 22.4% and Latvia at 14.8% in 2020 — and the two facts describe the same farming system from different angles.
What the indicator does not settle
A low figure per hectare can mean careful management or simply extensive farming on a lot of land. This series does not distinguish them, and the Baltic figures are consistent with both.
Nor does it capture where the ammonia ends up. Deposition depends on wind, terrain and the location of sensitive habitats, so the environmental damage from a kilogram emitted is not the same everywhere.
Ammonia emissions from agriculture, 2023
| Country | kg per hectare | Gap to EU averagepercentage points, derived |
|---|---|---|
| Malta | 139.7 | +120.6 |
| Netherlands | 55.5 | +36.4 |
| Cyprus | 55.0 | +35.9 |
| European Unionaggregate | 19.1 | — |
| Slovakia | 11.1 | −8.0 |
| Estonia | 9.0 | −10.1 |
| Latvia | 6.4 | −12.7 |
What these figures cannot tell you
- Per hectare, not per unit of output
- A farm producing twice as much food with the same emissions looks identical to one producing half as much. This measures emissions against land area, not against what the land produces.
- Extensive farming and good management look the same
- A low figure can reflect careful nutrient handling or simply a large area of low-intensity land. The indicator cannot separate them, which limits what a good result proves.
- Emission, not deposition
- Where ammonia settles depends on wind, terrain and the proximity of sensitive habitats. The environmental harm caused by a kilogram emitted varies considerably and is not measured here.
- Inventory estimates, not measurements
- National ammonia figures are modelled from livestock numbers, manure management practices and fertiliser use rather than measured directly, and methodologies differ between Member States.
Frequently asked questions
- How much ammonia does EU agriculture emit?
- 19.1 kg per hectare of agricultural area in 2023. Agriculture accounts for the overwhelming majority of ammonia emissions in the Union, so this is effectively a single-sector measure.
- Which EU country emits the most ammonia per hectare?
- Malta, at 139.7 kg per hectare in 2023, followed by the Netherlands at 55.5 kg and Cyprus at 55.0 kg. All three combine substantial livestock sectors with very small agricultural areas.
- Why does ammonia matter?
- It forms fine particulate matter in the atmosphere, the air pollutant most closely associated with mortality, and nitrogen deposited from it damages sensitive habitats. Dutch nitrogen deposition has been the subject of court rulings requiring livestock reductions.
- Which EU country emits the least?
- Latvia at 6.4 kg per hectare, followed by Estonia at 9.0 kg and then Lithuania and Slovakia, level at 11.1 kg. The Baltic states farm large areas at low intensity, which is the opposite of the Dutch pattern — though a low figure per hectare can reflect extensive land use rather than careful management.
Methodological note
Eurostat publishes ammonia emissions from agriculture in kilograms per hectare of utilised agricultural area, derived from national emission inventories reported under the air pollution framework.
Values are for 2023, the most recent year with complete coverage of the 27 Member States at the extraction date.
The count of Member States above 40 kg per hectare and the ratios against the EU figure are derived by Silver Data Lab from the published values. The comparisons with organic area, agricultural output and circular material use draw on companion studies on this site, each with its own extraction.
Source data
The underlying series can be inspected and re-downloaded from the Eurostat data browser. The filters below are the ones applied.
Ammonia emissions from agriculture
sdg_02_60
- Filters applied:
- freq=A · unit=KG_HA · time=2023
- Extracted:
- 2026-09-05
- Source last updated:
- 2026-09-04
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