FAO · Water Withdrawal by Sector
Farming’s share of water use by country
What share of fresh water goes to farming, households and industry?
Of the 173 countries compared in 2022, Somalia had the highest reading, 99.485%, and 3 countries shared the lowest reading, 0.000%. In the middle country the figure was 62.145%. Among the 66 countries measured in every edition since 1990, the middle one moved from 70.027% to 66.000%.
Share
Farming’s share of water use · 2022
Context statistic
Highest of 173Somalia
99.485%012022 · position · derived
The highest and the lowest
The three countries with the highest values of 173 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Lowest in 2022
- =171
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines0.000% - =171
Singapore0.000% - =171
Monaco0.000%
Positions out of 173. This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.
02Every measured country
Farming’s share of water use on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.
- 0.000–11.047%
- 13.019–47.867%
- 50.225–73.048%
- 73.057–87.200%
- 87.363–99.485%
- No reading in 2022 (7 measured in an earlier edition)
- Asia
83.385%
the middle country, of 44 measured · 52 members
Afghanistan98.170%Singapore0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Americas
69.995%
the middle country, of 35 measured · 48 members
Guyana94.345%Saint Vincent and the Grenadines0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Africa
67.423%
the middle country, of 54 measured · 55 members
Somalia99.485%
Central African Republic0.552%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Europe
10.671%
the middle country, of 36 measured · 49 members
Greece80.474%Monaco0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Oceania
4 of 21 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea.
Australia66.886%
Papua New Guinea0.255%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
20 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Southern Asia
93.076%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
Afghanistan98.170%
Sri Lanka87.363%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Central Asia
92.135%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Turkmenistan92.749%
Kazakhstan56.747%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- South-eastern Asia
88.556%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members
Laos95.918%Singapore0.000%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Northern Africa
81.176%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Sudan96.195%
Algeria67.430%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- South America
80.022%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Guyana94.345%
Brazil60.842%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Eastern Africa
76.270%
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Somalia99.485%
Seychelles6.569%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Western Asia
73.470%
the middle country, of 15 measured · 19 members
Azerbaijan92.242%
Qatar33.307%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Central America
70.255%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Nicaragua85.045%
Panama36.825%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Eastern Asia
62.145%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 8 members
North Korea76.347%
Mongolia54.260%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Southern Africa
59.400%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Eswatini94.195%
Lesotho8.676%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Western Africa
51.533%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Mali97.860%
Liberia8.430%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Southern Europe
42.377%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 17 members
Greece80.474%
Montenegro0.306%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Middle Africa
20.785%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Chad76.421%Central African Republic0.552%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Caribbean
15.652%
the middle country, of 13 measured · 24 members
Haiti83.379%Saint Vincent and the Grenadines0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Northern Europe
14.050%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 13 members
Denmark54.207%
Iceland0.108%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Eastern Europe
13.182%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Romania36.253%
Czechia3.043%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Western Europe
4.167%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
France10.296%Monaco0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia66.886%
New Zealand64.945%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Melanesia
2 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea.
Fiji58.893%Papua New Guinea0.255%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
United States39.659%
Canada10.694%Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
03The whole field at once
The spread
173 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 62.145%; a quarter are above 82.174%, and a quarter below 21.132%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 180 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. Neither end is the good end: a high farming share describes an agricultural economy rather than a wasteful one, and a high household share usually means there is little irrigation to compete with. Read it against water stress, which is what says whether the total being withdrawn is sustainable.
Showing 25 of 180 countries
Values for 2022. The change column compares 2022 with 2021 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051990–2022 · 33 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year from 1990. The line moves slowly and in steps, because AQUASTAT updates a country only when it reports.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 66 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 173 | 62.145% | 21.132% – 82.174% | 66.000% |
| 2021 | 169 | 61.313% | 21.536% – 81.564% | 66.000% |
| 2020 | 170 | 62.127% | 22.456% – 81.530% | 65.538% |
| 2019 | 174 | 61.001% | 20.973% – 81.530% | 65.444% |
| 2018 | 171 | 61.393% | 15.721% – 82.377% | 65.499% |
| 2017 | 176 | 61.163% | 21.348% – 83.015% | 65.961% |
| 2016 | 172 | 60.638% | 18.792% – 83.221% | 65.686% |
| 2015 | 174 | 59.289% | 15.933% – 83.363% | 65.467% |
| 2014 | 178 | 59.711% | 17.777% – 83.487% | 64.620% |
| 2013 | 178 | 61.533% | 16.263% – 83.437% | 63.951% |
| 2012 | 175 | 62.209% | 20.362% – 83.376% | 63.181% |
| 2011 | 173 | 59.697% | 16.982% – 83.379% | 62.401% |
| 2010 | 175 | 59.260% | 16.543% – 83.242% | 62.473% |
| 2009 | 171 | 60.652% | 19.911% – 83.626% | 63.322% |
| 2008 | 171 | 59.483% | 19.363% – 82.829% | 63.917% |
| 2007 | 163 | 59.574% | 22.152% – 82.702% | 65.049% |
| 2006 | 165 | 58.893% | 21.523% – 81.495% | 65.006% |
| 2005 | 159 | 59.542% | 21.713% – 81.709% | 65.415% |
| 2004 | 161 | 59.812% | 19.940% – 81.268% | 65.715% |
| 2003 | 159 | 60.272% | 20.505% – 80.335% | 65.030% |
| 2002 | 155 | 61.484% | 23.541% – 80.485% | 65.299% |
| 2001 | 155 | 61.875% | 21.775% – 81.123% | 64.583% |
| 2000 | 153 | 61.896% | 20.089% – 82.008% | 65.383% |
| 1999 | 144 | 61.345% | 23.912% – 82.677% | 66.159% |
| 1998 | 142 | 64.509% | 24.456% – 83.182% | 66.386% |
| 1997 | 140 | 65.083% | 22.717% – 82.490% | 66.788% |
| 1996 | 140 | 65.587% | 27.190% – 82.409% | 66.515% |
| 1995 | 135 | 65.566% | 28.109% – 81.920% | 66.630% |
| 1994 | 124 | 67.295% | 32.580% – 86.312% | 66.537% |
| 1993 | 116 | 65.427% | 35.049% – 85.140% | 67.910% |
| 1992 | 106 | 65.404% | 35.317% – 80.273% | 68.422% |
| 1991 | 96 | 64.500% | 35.014% – 87.058% | 68.969% |
| 1990 | 88 | 67.201% | 35.059% – 84.226% | 70.027% |
062021 → 2022
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Rose most
before → after
El Salvador49.938% → 72.786% · 99th → 70th+22.849
United Arab Emirates45.667% → 51.180% · 103rd → 102nd+5.513- Romania31.536% → 36.253% · 120th → 115th+4.717
Netherlands1.055% → 3.219% · 161st → 160th+2.164
Armenia76.036% → 77.474% · 56th → 54th+1.438
Fell most
before → after
Georgia46.606% → 33.552% · 102nd → 119th−13.054
Ukraine29.046% → 21.132% · 121st → 130th−7.915
Botswana33.387% → 27.973% · 117th → 126th−5.415
Cabo Verde42.526% → 38.990% · 106th → 110th−3.535- Qatar36.253% → 33.307% · 114th → 121st−2.946
169 countries were measured in both 2021 and 2022. The field changed from 169 to 173 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Farming’s share of water use in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
99.696%
Freshwater withdrawn for agriculture (% of total)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 59 times by 5 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.000%
Freshwater withdrawn for agriculture (% of total)
Biggest rise between editions
+34.952
44.347% → 79.299%
Biggest fall between editions
−47.765
79.299% → 31.534%
Biggest change since first measured
+39.645
36.145% → 75.789%
Highest most often
31 of 33
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The parts of the index
Inside the number
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) publishes the parts the headline is built from. Each part’s highest and lowest country, and its middle value.
| Part | Highest | Lowest | Middle country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Withdrawn for households (% of total)173 countries |  Brunei164.674 | Somalia0.455 | 19.602 |
| Withdrawn for industry (% of total)172 countries | Montenegro94.197 | 6 countries share 0.000 | 7.392 |
09The measure
About farming’s share of water use
This is what a country's fresh water is actually used for, split three ways between farming, households and industry. The agricultural share leads because irrigation is by far the largest use of water worldwide — about seven litres in every ten.
What the number is: Freshwater withdrawn for agriculture (% of total).
10Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Environment & Sustainability and Food & Agriculture, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Environment & SustainabilityFood & AgricultureWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where farming’s share of water use is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Learning PovertyWorld Bank Group and UNESCO Institute for Statistics · 101 countries in commonρ 0.54
- Informal Employment RateILO · 82 countries in commonρ 0.54
- Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 148 countries in commonρ 0.53
Moves against
Where farming’s share of water use is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Water-Use EfficiencyFAO · 163 countries in commonρ −0.76
- Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower SecondaryUIS · 89 countries in commonρ −0.60
- Upper Secondary AttainmentUIS · 83 countries in commonρ −0.57
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 375 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
11Keep reading
Explore further
The countries at either end
12Questions
Farming’s share of water use: questions and answers
Which country has the highest farming’s share of water use?
Somalia, at 99.485%, among the 173 countries compared in 2022.
Which country has the lowest farming’s share of water use?
3 countries share the lowest reading, 0.000%, among the 173 compared in 2022, so no single country is named.
How many countries does the Water Withdrawal by Sector cover?
173 in 2022, and 180 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 88 to 178 between editions.
What is the world average farming’s share of water use?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 173 compared in 2022, the figure was 62.145%.
Is this Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s own ranking?
No. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Water Withdrawal by Sector published?
This site holds 33 reference years, 1990–2022, all recalculated in Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s 2026 report on one method — not 33 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), under CC BY 4.0. From FAO's AQUASTAT via the World Bank's indicator API, combining three sector codes. Rows whose shares do not add up to 100 are dropped — 106 of them, including Bolivia's impossible 521.9%. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
13Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Water Withdrawal by Sector — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
From FAO's AQUASTAT via the World Bank's indicator API, combining three sector codes. Rows whose shares do not add up to 100 are dropped — 106 of them, including Bolivia's impossible 521.9%.
Newest edition
Report year 2022Data year 2022
Cite the source as: FAO. AQUASTAT. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-09-10.
How this page reads the numbers
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Farming’s share of water use by country: Water Withdrawal by Sector, data from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/water-withdrawal