Africa (excluding Egypt and Libya)

Africa currently accounts for only 2% of world fertilizer consumption, whereas the region contains 12% of the world's population, with a high rate of demographic growth. There is periodic concern about food supplies in several countries of the region.

The Maghreb countries, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, account for 21% of the region's consumption, the Republic of South Africa for 28%.

Fertilizer consumption in South Africa has been fairly stable since 1990 at around 0.8 million tonnes of total nutrient, fluctuating between 0.7 and 9 Mt depending largely on the weather. Agriculture in the countries of the Maghreb is frequently subject to adverse weather conditions.

Fertilizer use in most other countries of Africa is at a very low level. Excluding South Africa, the sub-Saharan countries account for less than 1% of world fertilizer consumption.