Comparing annual freshwater withdrawals with the water a country generates internally from rainfall and groundwater recharge produces a very different picture from a simple ranking of water use. Among the 175 country and area observations dated 2022, the median is 8.76%. Korea records 45.02% and ranks 32nd. Values above 100% are possible under the World Bank definition because non-renewable groundwater, desalination, and water reuse can support withdrawals beyond internally renewable water resources.
Table of Contents
The ratio compares withdrawals with water generated inside the country
The World Bank indicator is Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (% of internal resources), code ER.H2O.FWTL.ZS. The numerator covers freshwater withdrawals for agriculture, industry, domestic and public uses, while evaporation losses from storage basins are excluded. The denominator is internal renewable freshwater resources: river flows and groundwater recharge generated by precipitation within the country.
A value of 50% means annual withdrawals equal roughly half the scale of internally generated renewable freshwater resources. At 100%, the two are similar in scale. Above 100%, withdrawals exceed the country’s internal renewable flow. The ratio is not a direct estimate of how much water remains, nor is it a depletion rate.
The 2022 median is 8.76%, but the upper tail is extremely large
The median across the 175 observations is 8.76%, with a first quartile of 1.91% and a third quartile of 31.81%. The simple mean rises to 126.97% because a relatively small number of arid countries have ratios in the hundreds or thousands of percent. This is an unweighted country average, not the global share of freshwater resources withdrawn.
| Withdrawals relative to internal renewable resources | Countries/areas | Share of 175 |
|---|---|---|
| <1% | 24 | 13.7% |
| 1–<5% | 49 | 28.0% |
| 5–<10% | 18 | 10.3% |
| 10–<25% | 34 | 19.4% |
| 25–<50% | 20 | 11.4% |
| 50–<100% | 13 | 7.4% |
| 100–<500% | 10 | 5.7% |
| ≥500% | 7 | 4.0% |
17 of the 175 observations are at or above 100%, while 13 fall between 50% and 100%. At the other end, 73 are below 5%. The denominator matters greatly: countries with abundant internally renewable water can have low ratios even when their absolute withdrawals are substantial.
Egypt and Bahrain exceed 1,000% by a wide margin
Egypt records the highest 2022 ratio at 7,750.00%, followed by Bahrain at 3,877.50%, Turkmenistan at 1,867.97%, the United Arab Emirates at 1,509.93%, and Saudi Arabia at 974.17%. These figures do not mean those countries withdraw the largest absolute volumes of water in the world. They show the scale of withdrawals relative to internally generated renewable freshwater resources.
| Country | 2022 ratio |
|---|---|
| Egypt, Arab Rep. | 7,750.00% |
| Bahrain | 3,877.50% |
| Turkmenistan | 1,867.97% |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,509.93% |
| Saudi Arabia | 974.17% |
| Libya | 817.14% |
| Sudan | 673.38% |
| Qatar | 446.43% |
| Mauritania | 337.05% |
| Pakistan | 326.00% |
| Uzbekistan | 262.55% |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 195.80% |
| Yemen, Rep. | 169.76% |
| Azerbaijan | 160.53% |
| Jordan | 139.28% |
The World Bank notes that ratios can exceed 100% where withdrawals from non-renewable aquifers, desalination, or significant water reuse are important. Cross-country comparisons also require care because collection and estimation methods differ and water-resource statistics can be especially uncertain in water-scarce countries.
Korea is 45.02%, close to India and above several major economies
Korea records 45.02% in 2022, ranking 32th among the 175 same-year observations. India is close at 44.78%. Germany is 24.11%, China 20.21%, Japan 18.53%, the United States 15.77%, France 12.21%, and the United Kingdom 5.81%. Australia, Canada and Brazil are much lower at 2.36%, 1.27% and 1.20% respectively.
| Selected country | 2022 ratio | Rank of 175 |
|---|---|---|
| Korea, Rep. | 45.02% | 32 |
| India | 44.78% | 34 |
| Germany | 24.11% | 52 |
| China | 20.21% | 57 |
| Japan | 18.53% | 61 |
| United States | 15.77% | 68 |
| France | 12.21% | 79 |
| United Kingdom | 5.81% | 100 |
| Australia | 2.36% | 125 |
| Canada | 1.27% | 144 |
| Brazil | 1.20% | 146 |
Again, the ratio should not be confused with absolute water withdrawals. A water-rich country such as Brazil or Canada can withdraw a large physical volume while still recording a low percentage because its internal renewable freshwater resources are much larger.
This is not the same indicator as water stress
The World Bank’s water-stress indicator uses a different denominator and methodology. ER.H2O.FWTL.ZS compares withdrawals with internal renewable freshwater resources generated within the country. The water-stress measure incorporates total renewable water resources, including external flows, and accounts for environmental flow requirements. The two indicators are related but should not be treated as interchangeable.
Israel and West Bank and Gaza are excluded from the 2022 ranking because their latest values are dated 2021
The source file contains 177 latest observations overall, but Israel at 204.00% and West Bank and Gaza at 41.23% are dated 2021. The map, median, distribution and ranking therefore use only the 175 observations dated 2022. The two 2021 values remain valid as their latest observations but are not mixed into the same-year comparison.
Data source and comparison method
The analysis uses World Bank World Development Indicators ER.H2O.FWTL.ZS metadata and country observations. The World Bank identifies FAO AQUASTAT as the underlying source. All statistics and rankings use the 175 observations dated 2022 with equal country weights, and the ratio is not presented as a measure of absolute withdrawal volume or remaining freshwater stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can freshwater withdrawals exceed 100% of internal renewable resources?
Yes. The World Bank notes that ratios above 100% can occur where non-renewable groundwater extraction, desalination, or significant water reuse supports withdrawals beyond internally renewable freshwater flows.
What was Korea’s ratio in 2022?
Korea records 45.02% and ranks 32th among the 175 observations dated 2022.
Does a high percentage mean a country withdraws the largest physical volume of water?
No. The indicator divides withdrawals by internal renewable freshwater resources. A country with a small denominator can have a very high percentage without having the world's largest absolute withdrawal volume.
Is this the same as the World Bank water-stress indicator?
No. This indicator uses internal renewable freshwater resources as the denominator, while the water-stress measure uses a different framework that includes total renewable resources and environmental flow requirements.
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