Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Annual freshwater withdrawals, total was 5.8% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1980–2022
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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 5.8%, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual freshwater withdrawals, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 9.3% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2014.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 102nd of 177 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of internal resources | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 9.3% | — |
| 1981 | 9.0% | -2.9% |
| 1982 | 8.8% | -3.0% |
| 1983 | 8.5% | -3.1% |
| 1984 | 8.2% | -3.2% |
| 1985 | 7.9% | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 8.0% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 8.1% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 8.1% | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 8.2% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 8.3% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 8.3% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 8.3% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 8.3% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 8.3% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 8.3% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 8.4% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 8.4% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 8.5% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 8.6% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 8.6% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 8.7% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 8.7% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 8.8% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 8.8% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 8.9% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 8.9% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 5.9% | -34.3% |
| 2008 | 5.8% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 5.7% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 5.7% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 5.3% | -7.0% |
| 2012 | 5.5% | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 5.0% | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 5.6% | +12.0% |
| 2016 | 5.8% | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 5.8% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5.8% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 5.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5.8% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.4% | 7.9% | 9.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.4% | 8.3% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.9% | 5.7% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.6% | 5.0% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More climate change data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.7% (2100)
- Urban population 83.3% (2025)
- Urban population 57.90 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Population, total 69.49 million (2025)
- Population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Annual Net Emissions/Removals 370.74 (2024)
- Temperature change with respect to a baseline climatology 1.49 (2024)
- Per capita CO₂ emissions vs. per capita energy use 4.53 tonnes per person (2024)
- Share of global cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change 2.9% (2024)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual freshwater withdrawals, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 5.8% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 9.3% in 1980.
- What is the lowest annual freshwater withdrawals, total recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2014.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for annual freshwater withdrawals, total?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 102nd out of 177 countries with data for 2022.
- Is annual freshwater withdrawals, total rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 — 43 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.