India vs United States: Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion cubic meters)

India
647.5 billion cubic meters
in 2022
United States
444.29 billion cubic meters
in 2022
India rank
1st
United States rank
3rd

Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion cubic meters) over time

  • India
  • United States
0200400600197519982022

How they compare

India currently reports 647.5 billion cubic meters against 444.29 billion cubic meters in United States, a difference of 203.21 billion cubic meters.

That makes India's figure about 1.5 times United States's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 43 shared years of data; in 1980 it was United States ahead.

India ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 181 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, India averaged higher in 4 and United States in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade India United States Difference Ahead
1980s 479.86 billion cubic meters 493.98 billion cubic meters 14.12 billion cubic meters United States
1990s 549.68 billion cubic meters 468.93 billion cubic meters 80.76 billion cubic meters India
2000s 633.9 billion cubic meters 465.14 billion cubic meters 168.76 billion cubic meters India
2010s 647.5 billion cubic meters 436.64 billion cubic meters 210.86 billion cubic meters India
2020s 647.5 billion cubic meters 444.29 billion cubic meters 203.21 billion cubic meters India

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher annual freshwater withdrawals, total, India or United States?
India, at 647.5 billion cubic meters against 444.29 billion cubic meters in United States as of 2022.
What is the difference in annual freshwater withdrawals, total between India and United States?
203.21 billion cubic meters, with India ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for India and United States?
43 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2022.
How do India and United States rank globally for annual freshwater withdrawals, total?
India ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd 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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India vs United States: Annual freshwater withdrawals, total. Statizoid, drawing on AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 13 November 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/compare/annual-freshwater-withdrawals-total-billion-cubic-meters/india/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion cubic meters)
Unit
billion cubic meters
Source
AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
227 places, 6,749 data points, 1962–2022
Last refreshed

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.