Nitrogen is a key nutrient for growing crops and sustaining life, but too much of it in the environment can cause serious problems. Human activities, especially farming, raising animals, and industrial development, have greatly increased the amount of nitrogen released into the air, water, and soil. In this study, we analyzed how nitrogen has been used and moved around the Earth between 1980 and 2020. Using global data and process models, we found that human-caused reactive nitrogen release has increased by 44% over the past 40 years, leading to pollution, dead zones in water bodies, and harm to wildlife and human health. Areas most affected include parts of Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Africa. However, different regions face different challenges, some have too much nitrogen, while others don’t have enough. Our findings show the urgent need for global cooperation and local solutions to manage nitrogen better and protect both people and the planet.