Freshwater withdrawal as a share of resources — all countries

Freshwater withdrawal as a share of resources — High-income countries

Freshwater withdrawal as a share of resources in high-income countries in 2021 — 6.38%. Since 2012, the indicator has fallen by 0.1 pp.

2021 6.38% +0.02 pp vs 2020
World rank
Period maximum 6.54%2014
Period minimum 6.36%2020

Trend over time

2012–2021 · % of internal resources

Freshwater withdrawal as a share of resources — High-income countries, 2012–20216.356.46.456.56.5520122013201420152016201720182019202020212012: 6.48%2013: 6.43%2014: 6.54%2015: 6.43%2016: 6.4%2017: 6.42%2018: 6.41%2019: 6.38%2020: 6.36%2021: 6.38%
Change over the period: −0.1 pp Annual average: -0.01 pp

Comparison, 2021

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: High-income countries

High-income countries 6.38%
World 9%
Freshwater withdrawal as a share of resources — High-income countries, by year High-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2021 6.38 +0.02 pp
2020 6.36 −0.02 pp
2019 6.38 −0.03 pp
2018 6.41 −0.01 pp
2017 6.42 +0.02 pp
2016 6.4 −0.03 pp
2015 6.43 −0.11 pp
2014 6.54 +0.11 pp
2013 6.43 −0.05 pp
2012 6.48

About the indicator

Annual freshwater withdrawal for all uses (agriculture, industry, municipal supply) as a percent of internal renewable water resources. Values above 25 percent are taken as a sign of water stress, and values above 70 percent as a sign of critical scarcity. The indicator can exceed 100 percent where a country draws on transboundary flow or on non-renewable groundwater.

Important: The aggregate is weighted by water resources: it is the entire withdrawal of the group divided by all of its resources. Values above one hundred percent are not an error — they mean withdrawal from non-renewable stocks or desalination.

Source: FAOSTAT (FAO), license CC BY 4.0.