Agriculture accounts for a large share of freshwater withdrawals in many countries. World Bank indicator ER.H2O.FWAG.ZS measures agricultural withdrawals as a percentage of total freshwater withdrawal. Agricultural withdrawal covers water taken for irrigation and livestock production, so the indicator is best read as a sectoral structure measure rather than a ranking of absolute water use.
The latest non-null table contains 180 countries and areas, and 178 observations are dated 2022. Restricting the main comparison to those 178 common-year observations gives an unweighted median of 60.8% and a simple mean of 52.4%. Korea is 58.9%, close to the cross-country median. Agriculture accounts for at least half of total freshwater withdrawal in 104 of the 178 observations, and at least 90% in 28.
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What the agricultural freshwater withdrawal share measures
World Bank metadata defines agricultural withdrawals as total withdrawals for irrigation and livestock production. The denominator is total freshwater withdrawal across the major uses reported for a country. The unit is percent of total freshwater withdrawal, and the World Bank identifies FAO AQUASTAT as the underlying source.
Withdrawal is not the same thing as final consumption. It refers to water taken from sources for use, subject to the statistical conventions used by each reporting system. A value of 80% therefore means agriculture represents 80% of total freshwater withdrawal; it does not mean agriculture withdraws 80% of all renewable water resources in that country. Water stress and withdrawal relative to renewable resources require different indicators.
The 2022 median is 60.8% across 178 observations
The first quartile is about 17.7% and the third quartile about 81.5%, which means the middle half of observations spans a very wide range. The largest band is 70% to below 90%, with 45 observations. Another 31 fall between 50% and below 70%, while 28 are at 90% or higher. At the other end, 34 observations are below 10%.
| Agricultural share in 2022 | Countries / areas | Share of 178 |
|---|---|---|
| Below 10% | 34 | 19.1% |
| 10% to <30% | 21 | 11.8% |
| 30% to <50% | 19 | 10.7% |
| 50% to <70% | 31 | 17.4% |
| 70% to <90% | 45 | 25.3% |
| 90% to 100% | 28 | 15.7% |
Shares above 90% show agriculture dominating the withdrawal mix
| Country / area | Agricultural share in 2022 |
|---|---|
| Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 99.5% |
| Afghanistan | 98.2% |
| Nepal | 98.1% |
| Mali | 97.9% |
| Sudan | 96.2% |
| Lao PDR | 95.9% |
| Madagascar | 95.9% |
| Viet Nam | 94.8% |
| Eritrea | 94.5% |
| Guyana | 94.3% |
Somalia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Mali, Sudan, Lao PDR, Madagascar and Viet Nam are among the observations above 90%. These values show that irrigation and livestock production account for nearly all reported freshwater withdrawal in the sector mix. They do not by themselves prove inefficient agricultural water use. Climate, irrigation dependence, the size of industrial and municipal demand, and the way water supply is organized all affect the denominator as well as the numerator.
The ratio can therefore rise even without a rise in agricultural withdrawal if non-agricultural withdrawal is small. The opposite can also happen: a country can withdraw large amounts for farming and still show a moderate agricultural percentage when industrial and municipal withdrawals are also substantial.
A low share does not mean agriculture is unimportant
| Country / area | Agricultural share in 2022 |
|---|---|
| Monaco | 0.0% |
| Singapore | 0.0% |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.0% |
| Iceland | 0.1% |
| Papua New Guinea | 0.3% |
| Montenegro | 0.3% |
| Slovenia | 0.4% |
| Estonia | 0.4% |
| Central African Republic | 0.6% |
| Belgium | 0.9% |
Monaco, Singapore, Iceland, Belgium and several other observations sit near the bottom of the distribution. Many European countries are in the single digits or low double digits. This is not a measure of farm output, food self-sufficiency, agricultural employment or the physical size of the farm sector. It measures only agriculture’s share of freshwater withdrawal.
Rain-fed production can support substantial agriculture with relatively little irrigation withdrawal, while dry regions may depend heavily on irrigation. Explaining a country’s position would require additional evidence on irrigated area, rainfall, crop mix, renewable water resources, groundwater use and water stress. Those questions should not be inferred from this percentage alone.
Korea and selected large economies on the same 2022 basis
| Country | Year | Agricultural share of total freshwater withdrawal |
|---|---|---|
| Korea, Rep. | 2022 | 58.9% |
| China | 2022 | 62.1% |
| Japan | 2022 | 66.7% |
| United States | 2022 | 39.7% |
| India | 2022 | 90.4% |
| Germany | 2022 | 4.2% |
| France | 2022 | 10.3% |
| United Kingdom | 2022 | 14.0% |
| Australia | 2022 | 66.9% |
| Brazil | 2022 | 60.8% |
| Saudi Arabia | 2022 | 81.6% |
| United Arab Emirates | 2022 | 51.2% |
Korea is 58.9%. China is 62.1%, Japan 66.7%, Australia 66.9% and Brazil 60.8%, placing them in a broadly similar middle-to-high range. The United States is lower at 39.7%, while India is much higher at 90.4%. Germany is 4.2%, France 10.3% and the United Kingdom 14.0%. Saudi Arabia is 81.6% and the United Arab Emirates 51.2%.
These figures compare sector shares, not total volumes. The United States at 39.7% should not be read as using less water than India at 90.4%, and Germany at 4.2% does not say that farming is economically insignificant. Absolute withdrawal volumes and agricultural output answer different questions.
Regional contrasts are visible, but they do not have a single cause
Several Asian observations are very high, including India at 90.4%, Viet Nam at 94.8% and Lao PDR at 95.9%, while Korea, China and Japan sit between roughly 59% and 67%. In South America, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador are all above 80%, while Brazil is 60.8%. Europe contains many low-share observations such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom, but Spain is 65.3% and Greece 80.5%.
That variation is a reminder not to explain a continental pattern with climate alone. Irrigation intensity, crop and livestock systems, industrial and municipal demand, surface-water and groundwater use, and national reporting practices can all matter. The map is most useful for locating high and low shares that merit country-specific follow-up.
178 of the 180 latest values are from 2022
The latest available table has 180 rows, but only two are not from 2022. Israel and West Bank and Gaza use 2021 observations. The main ranking, median and mean therefore use only the 178 observations dated 2022 instead of mixing years.
| Country / area | Latest observation year | Agricultural share |
|---|---|---|
| Israel | 2021 | 48.4% |
| West Bank and Gaza | 2021 | 49.2% |
The two 2021 observations remain useful as the latest available values for those places, but they should not be given precise positions in a 2022 ranking. When country reference years differ, the date should be read together with the percentage.
Source and interpretation limits
The statistical source is World Bank World Development Indicators series ER.H2O.FWAG.ZS, with FAO AQUASTAT identified as the underlying source. The official definition covers withdrawals for irrigation and livestock production and reports them as a share of total freshwater withdrawal.
The median and simple mean are descriptive statistics that give each of the 178 common-year country or area observations equal weight. They are not a water-volume-weighted global agricultural share. Missing values were not converted to zero, and the 2021 observations were not treated as if they were measured in 2022. The indicator also does not directly measure water scarcity, withdrawal pressure on renewable resources, or agricultural productivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in agricultural freshwater withdrawals?
The World Bank definition includes freshwater withdrawals for irrigation and livestock production.
What was Korea’s agricultural share of freshwater withdrawals in 2022?
Korea's 2022 value for World Bank ER.H2O.FWAG.ZS is about 58.9%.
Does a high agricultural share mean a country has severe water scarcity?
No. The indicator measures agriculture's share of total freshwater withdrawal. Water scarcity or water stress requires separate information on renewable water resources and total withdrawal pressure.
Why are only 178 observations used for the 2022 ranking?
The latest table has 180 observations, but Israel and West Bank and Gaza are dated 2021. The main comparison keeps only the 178 observations dated 2022.
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