A molecule or ion is paramagnetic if it contains unpaired electrons, and diamagnetic if all of its electrons are paired.

Nitrogen has five valence electrons. In the ground state, these electrons are arranged as follows:

One unpaired electron in a p_x orbital

One unpaired electron in a p_y orbital

Three paired electrons in a p_z orbital

The two unpaired electrons in the p orbitals give nitrogen its paramagnetism.