Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in Australia

Australia: Annual freshwater withdrawals, total was 11.62 billion cubic meters in 2022. β–Ό Falling

Latest (2022)
11.62 billion cubic meters
Change on year
up 5.1%
World rank
42nd
of 181 countries
All-time high
22.16 billion cubic meters
in 1996
All-time low
8.38 billion cubic meters
in 2020
Years of data
30
1993–2022

Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in Australia, 1993–2022

051015201993200720221993: 18.6 billion cubic meters1994: 21.1 billion cubic meters1995: 19.9 billion cubic meters1996: 22.2 billion cubic meters1997: 21.9 billion cubic meters1998: 21.8 billion cubic meters1999: 21.7 billion cubic meters2000: 21.7 billion cubic meters2001: 21.5 billion cubic meters2002: 20.8 billion cubic meters2003: 20.1 billion cubic meters2004: 19.4 billion cubic meters2005: 18.7 billion cubic meters2006: 17.6 billion cubic meters2007: 16.4 billion cubic meters2008: 15.2 billion cubic meters2009: 14 billion cubic meters2010: 13.2 billion cubic meters2011: 13.2 billion cubic meters2012: 15.9 billion cubic meters2013: 19.1 billion cubic meters2014: 18.5 billion cubic meters2015: 9.2 billion cubic meters2016: 10.6 billion cubic meters2017: 12.1 billion cubic meters2018: 12.3 billion cubic meters2019: 10.6 billion cubic meters2020: 8.4 billion cubic meters2021: 11.1 billion cubic meters2022: 11.6 billion cubic meters

Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in billion cubic meters.

Analysis

Australia recorded 11.62 billion cubic meters for annual freshwater withdrawals, total in 2022.

That represents a change of up 5.1% on the previous year and down 26.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual freshwater withdrawals, total in Australia peaked at 22.16 billion cubic meters in 1996 and was at its lowest, 8.38 billion cubic meters, in 2020.

That places Australia 42nd out of 181 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 21.02 billion cubic meters 18.55 billion cubic meters 22.16 billion cubic meters 7
2000s 18.55 billion cubic meters 14.03 billion cubic meters 21.66 billion cubic meters 10
2010s 13.47 billion cubic meters 9.22 billion cubic meters 19.15 billion cubic meters 10
2020s 10.35 billion cubic meters 8.38 billion cubic meters 11.62 billion cubic meters 3

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 39 Azerbaijan, Republic of 13.03 billion cubic meters compare
  2. 40 Sri Lanka 12.95 billion cubic meters compare
  3. 41 Nigeria 12.47 billion cubic meters compare
  4. 43 Tajikistan, Republic of 10.6 billion cubic meters compare
  5. 44 Morocco 10.57 billion cubic meters compare
  6. 45 Ethiopia, The Federal Democratic Republic of 10.55 billion cubic meters compare

See the full ranking of 227 places β†’

More climate change data for Australia

All data for Australia β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is annual freshwater withdrawals, total in Australia?
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in Australia was 11.62 billion cubic meters in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
What is the highest annual freshwater withdrawals, total recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 22.16 billion cubic meters in 1996.
What is the lowest annual freshwater withdrawals, total recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 8.38 billion cubic meters in 2020.
How does Australia rank for annual freshwater withdrawals, total?
Australia ranks 42nd out of 181 countries with data for 2022.
Is annual freshwater withdrawals, total rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion cubic meters). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/annual-freshwater-withdrawals-total-billion-cubic-meters/australia/

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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.