World rankings / DATA EXPLORER

THE GLOBAL INDEX #109

Water stress2021

Freshwater withdrawals as a percentage of available freshwater resources, after allowing for environmental flow requirements.

World Bank
Historical source series The latest observation is more than three years old. It is the latest in this source snapshot, not a current estimate.
Comparable ranking year2022Latest published year: 2022
Economies with data178 / 217No observation: 39
First-ranked country or territoryKuwait3,850.5 %

Top 10

% · 2021
01Kuwait
3,850.5
03Saudi Arabia
974.17
04Libya
817.14
05Qatar
431.03
06Yemen
169.76
07Egypt
141.17
08Algeria
140.59
09Turkmenistan
135.21
10Bahrain
133.71

Complete ranking

Download CSV ↓
Water stress · 2021 · %
RankCountry / territoryValue (%)Year
01Kuwait3,850.52021
02United Arab Emirates1,533.332021
03Saudi Arabia974.172021
04Libya817.142021
05Qatar431.032021
06Yemen169.762021
07Egypt141.172021
08Algeria140.592021
09Turkmenistan135.212021
10Bahrain133.712021
11Israel1322021
12Syria124.362021
13Uzbekistan121.882021
14Sudan118.662021
15Oman116.712021
16Pakistan112.972021
17Jordan102.522021
18Tunisia98.112021
19Sri Lanka90.792021
20Barbados87.52021
21South Korea85.222021
22Iran81.292021
23Malta78.472021
24Eswatini77.562021
25Tajikistan69.942021
26South Africa66.892021
27India66.492021
28Armenia59.852021
29Iraq59.582021
30Lebanon58.792021
31Singapore58.192021
32Azerbaijan57.272021
33Cape Verde57.182021
34Afghanistan54.762021
35Belgium52.832021
36St. Kitts & Nevis50.832021
37Morocco50.752021
38Kyrgyzstan50.042021
39Palestinian Territories47.752021
40Zimbabwe46.092021
41Mexico45.022021
42Türkiye43.382021
43Spain43.252021
44China41.522021
45Dominican Republic39.552021
46Bulgaria38.522021
47North Macedonia37.932021
48Japan36.642021
49Germany35.352021
50Kazakhstan342021
51Kenya33.242021
52Ethiopia32.262021
53Cyprus32.122021
54Poland32.082021
55Italy29.742021
56Indonesia29.72021
57Timor-Leste28.272021
58United States28.162021
59North Korea27.742021
60Philippines27.212021
61Denmark25.942021
62Somalia24.532021
63Cuba23.942021
64Thailand23.012021
65Mauritius21.962021
66France21.382021
67Czechia20.512021
68Greece20.412021
69Trinidad & Tobago20.332021
70Rwanda20.22021
71Puerto Rico19.542021
72Vietnam18.132021
73Malawi17.52021
74Senegal16.282021
75Netherlands16.082021
76Maldives15.672021
77United Kingdom14.352021
78St. Lucia14.32021
79Haiti13.382021
80Mauritania13.252021
81Tanzania12.962021
82Moldova12.562021
83Jamaica12.382021
84Portugal12.322021
85El Salvador12.162021
86Uruguay11.822021
87Madagascar11.262021
88Eritrea11.182021
89Niger11.022021
90Ukraine10.842021
91Estonia10.822021
92Argentina10.462021
93Burundi10.192021
94Dominica102021
95Nigeria9.672021
96Chile8.982021
97Austria8.682021
98Antigua & Barbuda8.462021
99Nepal8.312021
100New Zealand8.052021
101Mali82021
102St. Vincent & Grenadines7.92021
103Burkina Faso7.822021
104Hungary7.722021
105Ireland7.612021
106Venezuela7.542021
107Romania7.362021
108Finland7.112021
109Grenada7.052021
110Ecuador6.782021
111Switzerland6.52021
112Djibouti6.332021
113Ghana6.312021
114Slovenia6.292021
115Costa Rica5.882021
116Uganda5.832021
117Myanmar (Burma)5.82021
118Guatemala5.742021
119Bangladesh5.722021
120Serbia5.442021
121Georgia5.242021
122Côte d’Ivoire5.092021
123Laos4.792021
124Albania4.782021
125Belarus4.72021
126Honduras4.622021
127Peru4.582021
128Australia4.452021
129Chad4.292021
130South Sudan4.232021
131Russia4.122021
132Suriname3.952021
133Luxembourg3.822021
134Canada3.722021
135Sweden3.582021
136Colombia3.522021
137Brunei3.472021
138Malaysia3.442021
139Mongolia3.42021
140Togo3.392021
141Guyana3.32021
142Zambia2.842021
143Lesotho2.572021
144Lithuania2.562021
145Botswana2.442021
146Slovakia2.442021
147Nicaragua2.222021
148Gambia2.212021
149Bosnia & Herzegovina2.032021
150Norway2.012021
151São Tomé & Príncipe1.882021
152Angola1.872021
153Paraguay1.842021
154Mozambique1.752021
155Cameroon1.562021
156Guinea-Bissau1.52021
157Brazil1.482021
158Croatia1.482021
159Bhutan1.412021
160Guinea1.372021
161Belize1.262021
162Latvia1.092021
163Cambodia1.042021
164Benin0.982021
165Panama0.92021
166Comoros0.832021
167Gabon0.52021
168Sierra Leone0.52021
169Iceland0.392021
170Central African Republic0.342021
171Namibia0.312021
172Fiji0.32021
173Liberia0.262021
174Congo - Kinshasa0.232021
175Bolivia0.22021
176Equatorial Guinea0.182021
177Papua New Guinea0.132021
178Congo - Brazzaville0.032021

How this ranking works

For annual statistics, the default is the newest year covering at least 70% of the maximum available country coverage, and at least 20 economies where possible. A ranking uses one year or report edition; missing observations are not replaced with another year. Newer years with lower coverage can be selected.

Intentional homicide rates and peace scores rank from lowest to highest; other indicators rank from highest to lowest. Ranks use original values and competition ranking for ties, for example 1, 2, 2, 4. Filtering or changing display order does not recalculate global ranks. Higher values are not necessarily better.

Statistics reflect the public source snapshot, not live measurements. Some series are modeled estimates or multi-year averages. See original metadata.

No observation (39)

American Samoa · Andorra · Aruba · Bahamas · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Channel Islands · Curaçao · Faroe Islands · French Polynesia · Gibraltar · Greenland · Guam · Hong Kong SAR China · Isle of Man · Kiribati · Kosovo · Liechtenstein · Macao SAR China · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Monaco · Montenegro · Nauru · New Caledonia · Northern Mariana Islands · Palau · Samoa · San Marino · Seychelles · Sint Maarten · Solomon Islands · St. Martin · Tonga · Turks & Caicos Islands · Tuvalu · U.S. Virgin Islands · Vanuatu

Source & definition

Indicator definition
Freshwater withdrawals as a percentage of available freshwater resources, after allowing for environmental flow requirements.
Unit
%
Source & definition
World Bank · ER.H2O.FWST.ZS
Open original source ↗
Original metadata
The level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources is the ratio between total freshwater withdrawn by all major sectors and total renewable freshwater resources, after taking into account environmental water requirements. Main sectors, as defined by ISIC standards, include agriculture; forestry and fishing; manufacturing; electricity industry; and services. This indicator is also known as water withdrawal intensity.

{
  "id": "ER.H2O.FWST.ZS",
  "name": "Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources",
  "unit": "",
  "source": {
    "id": "2",
    "value": "World Development Indicators"
  },
  "sourceNote": "The level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources is the ratio between total freshwater withdrawn by all major sectors and total renewable freshwater resources, after taking into account environmental water requirements. Main sectors, as defined by ISIC standards, include agriculture; forestry and fishing; manufacturing; electricity industry; and services. This indicator is also known as water withdrawal intensity.",
  "sourceOrganization": "AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), uri: https://data.apps.fao.org/aquastat/, publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), date accessed: 20240529",
  "topics": [
    {
      "id": "6",
      "value": "Environment "
    }
  ]
}