Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in OECD members
OECD members: Annual freshwater withdrawals, total was 7.9% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in OECD members, 2014–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of internal resources.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual freshwater withdrawals, total in OECD members is 7.9%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual freshwater withdrawals, total in OECD members peaked at 7.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 7.9%, in 2015.
OECD members ranks 23rd of 44 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of internal resources | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 7.9% | — |
| 2015 | 7.9% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 7.9% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 7.9% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 7.9% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 7.9% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 7.9% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 7.9% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 7.9% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 7.9% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 6 |
| 2020s | 7.9% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More climate change data for OECD members
- Population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Population, total 1.40 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 1.14 billion (2025)
- Urban population 81.3% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 38.1% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1,013 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 17.0% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 21.1% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 24.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual freshwater withdrawals, total in OECD members?
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in OECD members was 7.9% 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 7.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest annual freshwater withdrawals, total recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.9% in 2015.
- How does OECD members rank for annual freshwater withdrawals, total?
- OECD members ranks 23rd out of 44 groups with data for 2022.
- Is annual freshwater withdrawals, total rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this OECD members 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 (% of internal resources). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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. Data are for the most recent year available for 1987-2002.