India's fertiliser subsidy
Union government spending on the fertiliser subsidy, by financial year.
Fertiliser subsidy (2022-23 peak)
₹2.55 lakh cr
2022-23 · in ₹ lakh crore
Trend
The numbers
| 2020-21 | 1.3 |
| 2021-22 | 1.6 |
| 2022-23 | 2.5 |
| 2023-24 | 1.9 |
| 2024-25 BE | 1.6 |
Values are for the financial year (April–March), in ₹ lakh crore (1 lakh crore = ₹1 trillion). 'BE' marks a Budget Estimate rather than actual spending.
What the numbers say
- The fertiliser subsidy is one of the largest heads in the Union Budget — it keeps urea and other nutrients affordable for farmers.
- It spiked to about ₹2.55 lakh crore in 2022-23 as global fertiliser and gas prices surged after the Ukraine war, then eased as prices cooled.
- The 2024-25 figure is a Budget Estimate; actual spending depends on global prices and consumption through the year.
Related
IndianAgri coverage using this data
- Yemineni: Fourteen Years Building Fertigation Controls for Indian Polyhouses22 August 2026
- Why Biochar Often Fails in Its First Season on Indian Soils16 August 2026
- India's Urea Import Tender Clears at $390/Tonne, Undercutting Pre-Iran War Prices15 August 2026
- India Measures Its Soil Better Than Anyone — Then Ignores What It Finds3 August 2026
- Gulf Crisis Lays Bare India's Fertilizer Import Vulnerability — and the Cost of Inaction5 July 2026
- Rajasthan Pilots Farmer ID-Linked Digital Fertiliser Sales to Curb Subsidies Misuse2 July 2026
Sources
Union Budget / Department of Fertilizers. Verified against actual expenditure: 2020-21 ₹1,31,230 cr, 2021-22 ₹1,57,641 cr, 2022-23 ₹2,54,799 cr, 2023-24 ₹1.88 lakh cr; 2024-25 is the Budget Estimate. Secondary reports give conflicting actuals for 2024-25 onward (₹1.77–1.92 lakh cr), so later years are held back until the Union Budget Expenditure Profile confirms them.
Last reviewed 16 August 2026.