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.

21 $/m3 is the value added from the use of water by people and the economy at the global level (SDG indicator 6.4.1, 2021)

Data provider: FAO through AQUASTAT
Available data series: 2000-2021
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 economy covered by reporting in the last five years: 98%
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 (2021)

US dollars per cubic meter (USD/m3)

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

Trend

SDG Progress Report

Global target: of people have access to safe water.
Current status: % has access to safe water.
Current rate of progress between -1 and : % of the world population gained access to safe drinking water.
Rate of progress required to reach target: % of population need to gain access to safe water per year.
On track to reach target:
With current rate of progress, target will be reached by year:

Status in different countries (or areas) of indicator 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time (2021)

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 (2021)

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

Water-use efficiency, by sector (2021)

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 - 2021

Country (or area), SDG region, world	Year	6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time
Country (or area), SDG region, world	Year	Overall	Agriculture, forestry and fishing	Industry	Services
Afghanistan	2021	0.6	0.12	12.2	38.3
Albania	2021	13.08	1.71	250.26	31.27
Algeria	2021	14.56	0.89	349.84	22.09
Angola	2021	118.84	0.36	185.38	123.34
Antigua and Barbuda	2021	99.07	2.13	90.52	126.28
Argentina	2021	12.64	0.07	31.38	59.83
Armenia	2021	3.51	0.17	26.93	11.76
Australia	2021	77.73	0.5	122.44	393.45
Australia and New Zealand	2021	69.17	1.35	96.74	375.39
Austria	2021	113.89	1.87	42.71	326.3
Azerbaijan	2021	3.74	0.18	42.61	51.15
Bahamas	2021				284.15
Bahrain	2021	76.47	0.64	973.1	70.41
Bangladesh	2021	8.9	0.98	141.39	49.83
Barbados	2021	43.83	0.6	74.7	152.71
Belarus	2021	33.9	0.07	39.96	51.93
Belgium	2021	99.42	1.34	23.57	478.9
Belize	2021	17.95	0.16	15.3	129.68
Benin	2021	42.21	0.77	82.2	50.8
Bermuda	2021			262.26	765.65
Bhutan	2021	5.32	0.35	158.72	71.28
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)	2021	13.32	0.48	278.16	77.32
Bosnia and Herzegovina	2021			64.54	37.86
Botswana	2021	65.85	0.06	170.89	83.32
Brazil	2021	21.66	0.63	30.47	69.72
Brunei Darussalam	2021		6.34		33.7
Bulgaria	2021	9.96	0.18	2.75	47.47
Burkina Faso	2021	14.83	0.06	233.62	18.73
Burundi	2021	6.87	0.06	36.76	31.53
Cabo Verde	2021	5.63	0.07	68.4	7.41
Cambodia	2021	7.96	0.4	257.89	82.25
Cameroon	2021	26.99	0.07	83.93	83.25
Canada	2021	45.56	0.25	14.67	240.35
Central African Republic	2021	17.77	0.13	34.01	14.64
Central and Southern Asia	2021	3.24	0.47	37.46	27.05
Chad	2021	8.43	0.09	29.69	41.23
Chile	2021	7.54	0.21	48.67	121.86
China	2021	31.21	2.51	66.99	88.28
Colombia	2021	10.43	0.1	245.25	62.93
Comoros	2021	71.01	0.12	194.8	127.53
Congo	2021	88.82	0.23	160.03	67.56
Costa Rica	2021	17.13	0.46	49.61	41.42
Croatia	2021	47.38	0.7	20.14	85.52
Cuba	2021	12.54	0.1	20.25	42.26
Cyprus	2021	76.67	0.8	169.09	175.59
Czechia	2021	139.28	1.62	81.98	210.01
Côte d'Ivoire	2021	41.13	0.34	49.59	111.21
Democratic People's Republic of Korea	2021	1.59	0.35	5.04	6.26
Democratic Republic of the Congo	2021	54.34	0.42	127.4	39.6
Denmark	2021	301.6	0.91	1211.72	586.48
Djibouti	2021		13.32		166.36
Dominica	2021		0.01		15.65
Dominican Republic	2021	9.18	0.23	44.28	61.28
Eastern and South-Eastern Asia	2021	22.72	1.26	64.61	90.75
Ecuador	2021	8.85	0.63	52.57	41.63
Egypt	2021	5.31	0.81	23.14	22.05
El Salvador	2021	19.6	0.1	25.42	42.39
Equatorial Guinea	2021			1689.64	277.19
Eritrea	2021	3.27	0.02	674.98	39.2
Estonia	2021	24.74	0.58	6.02	266.03
Eswatini	2021	3.86	0.12	70.39	61.62
Ethiopia	2021	5.52	0.2	398.96	44.33
Europe and Northern America	2021	52.75	0.33	22.17	231.77
Fiji	2021	34.41	0.46	63.57	90.44
Finland	2021	61.86	0.02	27.92	321.27
France	2021	91.13	1.96	22.67	351.2
Gabon	2021	99.04	0.31	507.1	78.09
Gambia	2021	12.26	0.15	12.44	23.68
Georgia	2021	9.38	0.33	10.5	21.39
Germany	2021	123.55	2.07	61	217.52
Ghana	2021	34.07	0.18	186.07	106.9
Greece	2021	17.04	0.5	74.18	86.62
Grenada	2021		1.99		59.72
Guatemala	2021	19.58	0.93	24.86	57.91
Guinea	2021	9.62	0.06	60.1	21.39
Guinea-Bissau	2021	4.87	0.11	14.41	21.63
Guyana	2021	5.38	0.01	233.82	48.71
Haiti	2021	7.72	0.25	68.18	39.09
Honduras	2021	13.14	0.23	50.18	48.03
Hungary	2021	26.34	0.46	9.78	134.9
Iceland	2021	61.92	0.9	16.8	173.82
India	2021	3.13	0.49	38.31	24.84
Indonesia	2021	4.24	0.33	45.11	19.7
Iran (Islamic Republic of)	2021	4.62	0.34	142.2	39.57
Iraq	2021	4.22	0.14	19.79	12.66
Ireland	2021	263.74	0	311.66	249.42
Israel	2021	128.94	2.06	599.19	272.4
Italy	2021	48.61	0.85	47.5	137.88
Jamaica	2021	24.62	3.33	56.32	25.46
Japan	2021	56.13	0.65	111.06	217.34
Jordan	2021	33.29	1.54	254.5	53.31
Kazakhstan	2021	8	0.06	16.28	26.33
Kenya	2021	16.22	0.2	44.93	103.35
Kuwait	2021	96.16	0.58	2369.16	143.97
Kyrgyzstan	2021	0.88	0.13	5.42	18.03
Lao People's Democratic Republic	2021	2.1	0.17	25.4	76.05
Latin America and the Caribbean	2021	12.53	0.29	36.39	56.83
Latvia	2021	144.28	0.03	144.98	233.99
Lebanon	2021	17.39	1.81	2.52	118.54
Lesotho	2021	42.34	0.01	26.41	66.32
Liberia	2021	4.22	0.04	3.55	5.31
Libya	2021	9.98	0.17	90.11	45.88
Liechtenstein	2021				424.98
Lithuania	2021	172.59	0.05	192.35	235.9
Luxembourg	2020-2021	1189.98	0	1483.59	1166.86
Madagascar	2021	0.78	0.11	16.24	16.43
Malawi	2021	5.63	0.07	37.26	40.41
Malaysia	2021	58.4	1.47	75.78	143.43
Maldives	2021			1199.42	676.07
Mali	2021	2.04	0.05	931.58	61.69
Malta	2021	215.24	3.16	1613.58	304.43
Mauritania	2021	4.29	0.29	72.33	32.97
Mauritius	2021	17.44	0.38	227.4	28.44
Mexico	2021	12.28	0.27	40.96	55.28
Monaco	2021				1309.63
Mongolia	2021	22.96	0.44	28.6	126.99
Montenegro	2021	21.27	3.84	7.31	30.67
Morocco	2021	7.29	0.36	100.1	48.48
Mozambique	2021	7.79	0.07	140.59	21.18
Myanmar	2021	1.53	0.18	39.94	7.83
Namibia	2021	30.86	0.08	165.99	89.71
Nepal	2021	2.68	0.63	105.84	111.39
Netherlands	2021	91.83	25.12	23.3	292.16
New Zealand	2021	40.19	4.31	31.63	291.32
Nicaragua	2021	8.24	0.16	5446	36.64
Niger	2021	2.87	0	63.32	25.71
Nigeria	2021	31.46	0.25	79.75	46.88
North Macedonia	2021	5.56	0.45	84.54	29.91
Northern Africa and Western Asia	2021	12.67	0.45	90.06	54.04
Norway	2021	139.7	0.34	125.65	322.1
Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)	2021	78.33	0.46	63.3	105
Oman	2021	44.62	1.13	166.68	338.61
Pakistan	2021	1.84	0.4	45.06	21.3
Panama	2021	46.98	0.35	2507	54.29
Papua New Guinea	2021			47.79	46.74
Paraguay	2021	14.69	0.18	77.96	63.82
Peru	2021	4.99	0.29	20.08	50.17
Philippines	2021	3.98	0.2	8.09	26.56
Poland	2021	51.69	0.11	22.91	173.14
Portugal	2021	29.9	0.55	19.81	164.33
Puerto Rico	2021	28.24	1.93	19.17	58.92
Qatar	2021	184.28	1.57	2408.01	128.52
Republic of Korea	2021	56.55	1.07	116.86	149.05
Republic of Moldova	2021	9.37	3.43	2.9	35.01
Romania	2021	24.21	0.26	12.36	109.38
Russian Federation	2021	19.81	0.06	15.51	48.55
Rwanda	2021	13.63	0.46	226.3	25.58
Saint Kitts and Nevis	2021		0.55		38.34
Saint Lucia	2021		0		103.85
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	2021			41884.68	65.29
Sao Tome and Principe	2021	8.2	0.38	73.17	19.15
Saudi Arabia	2021	24.44	0.73	212.15	95.17
Senegal	2021	6.03	0.08	3802.11	48.31
Serbia	2021	7.4	0.2	2.74	39.37
Seychelles	2021	90.61	4.67	39.56	120.76
Sierra Leone	2021	10.21	3.8	5.33	15.29
Singapore	2021			255.24	857.22
Slovakia	2021	152.76	1.71	106.11	205.23
Slovenia	2021	48.3	9.11	17.73	182.42
Somalia	2021	0.87	0.14	215.6	130.2
South Africa	2021	15.84	0.13	18.42	67.95
South Sudan	2021	8.83	0.02	13.2	14.68
Spain	2021	37.78	0.5	37.87	192.7
Sri Lanka	2021	6.39	0.36	29.95	66.71
State of Palestine	2021	28.54	3.11	65.58	37.52
Sub-Saharan Africa	2021	13.45	0.14	56.03	52
Sudan	2021	4.99	0.28	461.82	97.41
Suriname	2021	6.81	0.92	11.3	46.06
Sweden	2021	239.19	3.59	87.3	548.87
Switzerland	2021	432.42	5.95	284.08	611.43
Syrian Arab Republic	2021	0.9	0.1	8.23	5.78
Tajikistan	2021	1.08	0.33	1.7	6.03
Thailand	2021	7.34	0.38	50.39	95.37
Timor-Leste	2021	1.6	0.09	256.11	12.81
Togo	2021	23.72	0.02	192.23	28.99
Trinidad and Tobago	2021	54.43	2.18	64.32	52.75
Tunisia	2021	11.68	0.32	170.85	37.37
Turkmenistan	2021	2.03	0.24	18.59	36.11
Türkiye	2021	16.37	0.17	277.02	90.48
Uganda	2021	41.4	0.04	180.06	52.91
Ukraine	2021	7.77	0.11	4.96	20.34
United Arab Emirates	2021	79.61	1.53	4435.97	84.78
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	2021	320.9	0.85	453.73	360.16
United Republic of Tanzania	2021	9.1	0.23	794.77	49.77
United States of America	2021	45.88	0.21	15.86	291.53
Uruguay	2021	13.28	0.2	112.43	95.13
Uzbekistan	2021	2.53	0.72	19.37	21.81
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)	2021	3.99	0.12	56.8	8.45
Viet Nam	2021	3.62	0.3	37.28	131.41
World	2021	20.77	0.67	37.16	111.01
Yemen	2021	4.79	0.62	57.2	42.88
Zambia	2021	14.44	0.04	78.76	42.82
Zimbabwe	2021	3.66	0.04	67.38	22.53

Progress on Water-Use Efficiency (SDG target 6.4)

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