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Progress on Water-Use Efficiency (SDG target 6.4)

Increasing water-use efficiency, for example by repairing leaking water distribution systems, using less thirsty crops and investing in new technology, results in more sustainable food and industrial production systems. Water savings are also often associated with energy savings, as less water needs to be extracted, treated, transported and heated.

  • 19 $/m3 is the value added from the use of water by people and the economy at the global level (SDG indicator 6.4.1, 2020)

Available data series: 2000-2020
Number of countries (and areas) reporting in the last five years: 168
Proportion of world population covered by reporting in the last five years: 100%

Proportion of world land area covered by reporting in the last five years: 99%
Learn more about the indicator here
Read the latest progress report here

SDG target 6.4 is: ‘By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.’

To track progress towards the target, SDG indicator 6.4.1 monitors the change in water-use efficiency over time, measured as the ratio of dollar value added to the volume of water used.

Global status of indicator 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time (2020)

US dollars per cubic meter (USD/m3)

Progress over time of indicator 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time

Status in different countries (or areas) of indicator 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time (2020)

  • Australia and New Zealand
  • Eastern and South-Eastern Asia
  • Central and Southern Asia
  • Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Europe and Northern America
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)
  • Northern Africa and Western Asia

Status in different SDG regions of indicator 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time (2020)

Status of different components of indicator 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time

Water-use efficiency, by sector (2020)
Water withdrawal, by source and sector, for one reporting country (2020)

Source data indicator 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time

Country (or area), region and world data for the latest year of reporting: 2020

Country (or area), SDG region, worldYear 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time
Overall Agriculture, forestry and fishing Industry Services
Afghanistan20200.80.1212.6757.21
Albania202012.11.72134.4328.53
Algeria202013.810.99272.1123.87
Angola20201290.32195.15138.48
Antigua and Barbuda202098.082.0686.94125.96
Argentina202011.410.0928.1854
Armenia20203.50.1714.8310.42
Australia202090.260.36109.28403
Australia and New Zealand202076.731.486.39380.98
Austria202098.092.632.74352.89
Azerbaijan20203.630.2336.356.42
Bahamas2020271.51
Bahrain202074.730.61954.7868.62
Bangladesh20207.090.84101.5241.58
Barbados202041.590.5163.92147.24
Belarus202035.430.139.5756
Belgium202097.491.1423.08453.99
Belize202011.530.167.0788.04
Benin202039.550.6970.4748.97
Bermuda2020255.18798.13
Bhutan20206.070.37212.1176.39
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)202012.970.42258.98132.27
Bosnia and Herzegovina202051.1234.35
Botswana202061.350.08122.2590.46
Brazil202021.290.5128.4770.61
Brunei Darussalam20207.9437.73
Bulgaria20209.020.112.9342.37
Burkina Faso202013.360.07204.9617.18
Burundi20207.180.0638.432.96
Cabo Verde202049.720.23820.88630.32
Cambodia20207.830.39237.6486.32
Cameroon202025.050.0580.7876.07
Canada202040.380.2412.68228.8
Central African Republic202017.590.1333.6714.5
Central and Southern Asia20202.860.4130.3425.37
Chad202010.470.0523.4765.01
Chile20206.930.2342.34114.26
China202025.812.153.6474.51
Colombia20208.630.05168.250.97
Comoros202070.040.12189.04126.11
Congo202084.360.18160.960.81
Costa Rica202017.490.4244.2452.74
Croatia202034.470.6813.2272.58
Cuba202011.190.1725.2734.34
Cyprus202074.940.8153.5173.41
Czechia2020132.471.5380.01198.81
Côte d'Ivoire202038.510.3245.89104.55
Democratic People's Republic of Korea20201.60.3356.55
Democratic Republic of the Congo202050.830.42107.2440.81
Denmark2020288.421.321320.4540.49
Djibouti202013.73169.97
Dominica2020015.49
Dominican Republic20208.20.2236.257.27
Eastern and South-Eastern Asia202019.911.0955.1781.58
Ecuador20208.520.6351.7639.44
Egypt20204.870.7521.8319.91
El Salvador20209.60.0323.0532.45
Equatorial Guinea20201401.19316.81
Eritrea20203.310.02683.1739.67
Estonia202026.290.576.53274.75
Eswatini20203.450.1164.9454.17
Ethiopia20205.350.18400.0142.27
Europe and Northern America202049.510.3320.05220.9
Fiji202035.440.497091.39
Finland202059.430.0226.48310.03
France202080.611.9319.13333.66
Gabon202097.040.33409.291.09
Gambia202011.520.1212.9221.64
Georgia20208.270.449.3516.81
Germany2020108.44.6545.66219.07
Ghana202032.580.23186.2699.42
Greece202015.630.4261.4979.82
Grenada20202.3657.25
Guatemala202018.10.9422.7353.51
Guinea202010.470.0570.4421.99
Guinea-Bissau20204.670.1114.3220.6
Guyana20203.920.01135.5347.14
Haiti20207.920.2963.9441.45
Honduras202011.80.234343.78
Hungary202024.460.439.08125.27
Iceland202060.170.8315.57170.77
India20202.890.4434.9223.28
Indonesia20204.090.3341.6519.7
Iran (Islamic Republic of)20204.020.34111.0136.15
Iraq20202.980.1411.5714.4
Ireland2020236.170278.15223.21
Israel2020134.152.12554.14247.91
Italy202045.620.8342.99128.97
Jamaica20208.122.062.1260.12
Japan202055.420.66109.96214.67
Jordan202032.581.49245.3552.48
Kazakhstan20207.420.0510.1341.8
Kenya202014.90.1942.494.23
Kuwait202095.950.611932.33166.04
Kyrgyzstan20200.860.125.816.85
Lao People's Democratic Republic20202.050.1724.1775.11
Latin America and the Caribbean202011.790.2731.9955.38
Latvia2020135.590.03138.18219.09
Lebanon202018.311.222.15128.78
Lesotho202043.40.0234.360.75
Liberia20204.270.043.65.36
Libya20203.530.0727.3717.99
Liechtenstein2020459.92
Lithuania2020163.690.05179.46225.05
Luxembourg20201189.9801483.591124.19
Madagascar20200.720.1114.215.4
Malawi20205.60.0636.3740.47
Malaysia202057.341.2169.21147.59
Maldives20201113.69471.33
Mali20201.950.04927.457.72
Malta2020185.851.271538.52266.91
Mauritania20203.910.3156.5632.39
Mauritius202016.190.38188.7327.32
Mexico202011.90.2737.4855.18
Monaco20201062.87
Mongolia202022.850.3928.95124.9
Montenegro202018.923.587.126.89
Morocco20208.710.42123.1657.23
Mozambique20207.760.06135.4921.44
Myanmar20201.840.1753.38.98
Namibia202030.490.08169.7487.54
Nepal20202.640.66100.63108.31
Netherlands202085.9819.8821.77281.59
New Zealand202038.694.1930.49280.02
Nicaragua20207.560.144481.235.25
Niger20202.76060.5224.74
Nigeria202030.120.2569.5847.53
North Macedonia202017.561.8667.4920.66
Northern Africa and Western Asia202011.150.467152.78
Norway2020129.580.3888.72326.84
Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)202079.980.4966.99105.53
Oman202038.11.02150.11274.35
Pakistan20201.540.3336.6318.03
Panama202041.120.321804.2950.7
Papua New Guinea202050.8846.07
Paraguay202013.90.1766.5563.42
Peru20204.420.2715.0548.55
Philippines20203.90.199.0628.48
Poland202051.60.0922.68174.98
Portugal202028.490.518.19158.09
Puerto Rico202028.351.819.3159.01
Qatar2020192.421.442069.34169.04
Republic of Korea202054.411.05110.76144.46
Republic of Moldova20208.452.82.9130.65
Romania202028.470.2912.34123.56
Russian Federation202018.910.0613.4348.68
Rwanda202012.080.43191.4422.52
Saint Kitts and Nevis20200.4937.14
Saint Lucia2020096.18
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines202040348.4860.91
Sao Tome and Principe20207.920.3970.1318.49
Saudi Arabia202025.080.79184.18111.22
Senegal20205.720.07341746.92
Serbia20206.530.172.3337.5
Seychelles2020832.7740.2109.1
Sierra Leone20208.413.553.5112.86
Singapore2020226.7802.4
Slovakia2020149.871.796.71206.94
Slovenia202041.398.6415.21169.91
Somalia20200.20.0350.0530.21
South Africa202013.770.1116.263.25
South Sudan20208.570.039.7617.81
Spain202036.230.5736.24184.49
Sri Lanka20206.180.3226.9367.01
State of Palestine202026.513.9170.2143.45
Sub-Saharan Africa202012.820.1351.2950.62
Sudan20202.880.18255.4456.57
Suriname20206.920.8410.9549.08
Sweden2020187.933.6278.78524.5
Switzerland2020404.826.35267.2562.58
Syrian Arab Republic20201.080.129.956.98
Tajikistan20201.020.291.446.16
Thailand20207.270.4246.896.88
Timor-Leste20201.530.09267.8611.77
Togo202021.380.02180.9325.77
Trinidad and Tobago202053.362.4650.4458.53
Tunisia202010.020.32143.3332.14
Turkmenistan20201.170.2216.8730.02
Türkiye202013.750.38251.7783.31
Uganda202038.740.04168.2449.55
Ukraine20207.620.14.2520.84
United Arab Emirates202074.451.473631.188.69
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland2020307.620.7421.82347.4
United Republic of Tanzania20208.830.23775.4148.06
United States of America202043.030.1914.72274.03
Uruguay202012.750.23108.8590.79
Uzbekistan20201.60.4314.7716.52
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)20204.010.1157.148.48
Viet Nam20202.630.2723.91100.56
World202018.90.5932.08104.65
Yemen20205.190.6762.3146.42
Zambia202013.750.0366.6444.54
Zimbabwe20204.470.0447.2919.86
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