China vs India: Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion cubic meters)
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion cubic meters) over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 647.5 billion cubic meters against 568.48 billion cubic meters in China, a difference of 79.02 billion cubic meters.
That makes India's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 43 shared years of data; in 1980 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 181 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 474.55 billion cubic meters | 479.86 billion cubic meters | 5.3 billion cubic meters | India |
| 1990s | 527.97 billion cubic meters | 549.68 billion cubic meters | 21.71 billion cubic meters | India |
| 2000s | 561.1 billion cubic meters | 633.9 billion cubic meters | 72.8 billion cubic meters | India |
| 2010s | 595.35 billion cubic meters | 647.5 billion cubic meters | 52.15 billion cubic meters | India |
| 2020s | 568.48 billion cubic meters | 647.5 billion cubic meters | 79.02 billion cubic meters | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual freshwater withdrawals, total, China or India?
- India, at 647.5 billion cubic meters against 568.48 billion cubic meters in China as of 2022.
- What is the difference in annual freshwater withdrawals, total between China and India?
- 79.02 billion cubic meters, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 43 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2022.
- How do China and India rank globally for annual freshwater withdrawals, total?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 181 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion cubic meters). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
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About this data
Annual freshwater withdrawals refer to total water withdrawals, not counting evaporation losses from storage basins. Withdrawals also include water from desalination plants in countries where they are a significant source. Withdrawals can exceed 100 percent of total renewable resources where extraction from nonrenewable aquifers or desalination plants is considerable or where there is significant water reuse. Withdrawals for agriculture and industry are total withdrawals for irrigation and livestock production and for direct industrial use (including withdrawals for cooling thermoelectric plants). Withdrawals for domestic uses include drinking water, municipal use or supply, and use for public services, commercial establishments, and homes.