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Progress on Level of Water Stress

Improving farming systems will help reduce the demand for water and alleviate the pressure on ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems are in turn essential to stabilize the water cycle, allowing more recharge for aquifers and a steadier run-off in surface streams.

  • 19 % of the world’s renewable water resources is being withdrawn, after taking into account environmental flow requirements (SDG indicator 6.4.2, 2021)

Available time series: 2000-2021
Number of countries (and areas) reporting in the last five years: 180
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: 100%
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To track progress towards the target, SDG indicator 6.4.2 monitors how much freshwater is being withdrawn by all economic activities, compared to the total renewable freshwater resources available.

Global status of indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (2021)

Number of people living in countries (or areas) with water stress (using more than 50% of available water resources): --- (---% of the world population)
Number of people living in countries (or areas) with critical water stress (using more than 100% of available water resources): --- (---% of the world population)

Freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (%)

Change over time of indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources

Status in different countries (or areas) of indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (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 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (2021)

Status of different components of indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (2020)

Water resources and withdrawal, total and per capita
Renewable water resources, world average: --- m3 per capita (2020)
Water withdrawal, world average: --- m3 per capita (2020)
Environmental flow requirements: ---% of renewable water resources (2020)  

Source data indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources

Country (or area), region and world data for the latest year of reporting: 2013 - 2021

Country (or area), region, worldYear 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
Overall (%) Renewable water resources Water withdrawal Environmental flow requirements
Afghanistan2020-202154.7665.3320.37
Albania2020-20214.7830.20.79
Algeria2020-2021137.9211.6710.46
Andorra20200.32
Angola2020-20211.87148.40.71
Antigua and Barbuda2020-20218.460.050.01
Argentina2020-202110.46876.2437.78
Armenia2020-202159.857.772.83
Australia2020-20214.649213.74
Australia and New Zealand2017-20215.85819
Austria2020-20218.6877.73.49
Azerbaijan2020-202157.2734.6712.58
Bahamas20200.7
Bahrain2020-2021133.710.120.43
Bangladesh2020-20215.721227.0335.87
Barbados2020-202187.50.080.08
Belarus2020-20214.757.91.33
Belgium2020-202151.8818.34.26
Belize2020-20211.2621.730.1
Benin2020-20210.9826.390.23
Bermuda20214.24
Bhutan2020-20211.41780.34
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)2020-20211.245742.09
Bosnia and Herzegovina2013-20212.0337.50.33
Botswana2020-20212.4412.240.22
Brazil2020-20211.48864767.2
Brunei Darussalam2020-20213.478.50.09
Bulgaria2020-202137.5221.35.08
Burkina Faso2020-20217.8213.50.82
Burundi2020-202110.1912.540.28
Cabo Verde2020-202157.180.30.03
Cambodia2020-20211.04476.12.18
Cameroon2020-20211.56283.151.09
Canada2020-20213.73290236.23
Central African Republic2020-20210.341410.07
Central and Southern Asia2017-202174.774155.71
Chad2020-20214.2945.70.88
Chile2020-20218.98923.0632.37
China2020-202141.522840.22581.29
Colombia2020-20214.39236029.12
Comoros2020-20210.831.20.01
Congo2020-20210.038320.09
Cook Islands20200
Costa Rica2020-20215.881133.14
Croatia2020-20211.48105.51.23
Cuba2020-202123.9438.126.96
Cyprus2020-202132.120.780.28
Czechia2020-202120.5113.151.37
Côte d'Ivoire2020-20215.0984.141.16
Democratic People's Republic of Korea2020-202127.7477.158.66
Democratic Republic of the Congo2020-20210.2312830.68
Denmark2020-202126.460.98
Djibouti2020-20216.330.30.02
Dominica2020-2021100.20.02
Dominican Republic2020-202139.5523.59.08
Eastern and South-Eastern Asia2017-202130.449847.02
Ecuador2020-20216.78442.49.92
Egypt2020-2021141.1757.577.5
El Salvador2020-202113.2126.272.12
Equatorial Guinea2020-20210.18260.02
Eritrea2020-202111.187.320.58
Estonia2020-202110.8212.810.85
Eswatini2020-202177.564.511.07
Ethiopia2020-202132.2612210.55
Europe and Northern America2017-202112.4713758.84
Faroe Islands20200
Fiji2020-20210.328.550.08
Finland2020-20217.111103.5
France2020-202121.621126.27
Gabon2020-20210.51660.14
Gambia2020-20212.2180.1
Georgia2020-20215.2463.331.65
Germany2020-202135.3515428.48
Ghana2020-20216.3156.21.46
Greece2020-202120.6868.410.12
Grenada2020-20217.050.20.01
Guatemala2020-20215.74127.913.32
Guinea2020-20211.372260.89
Guinea-Bissau2020-20211.531.40.19
Guyana2020-20213.32711.44
Haiti2020-202113.3814.021.45
Holy See20200
Honduras2020-20214.6292.161.61
Hungary2020-20218.071044.66
Iceland2020-20210.391700.28
India2020-202166.491910.9761
Indonesia2020-202129.72018.7222.64
Iran (Islamic Republic of)2020-202181.29137.0493.3
Iraq2020-202159.5889.8656.62
Ireland2020-202122.21521.54
Israel2020-20211321.782.3
Italy2020-202129.65191.333.89
Jamaica2020-202112.3810.821.35
Japan2020-202136.0543078.4
Jordan2020-2021102.520.941.1
Kazakhstan2020-202134.1108.4124.56
Kenya2020-202133.2430.74.03
Kiribati20200
Kuwait2020-20213850.50.021.25
Kyrgyzstan2020-202150.0423.627.66
Lao People's Democratic Republic2020-20214.79333.57.35
Latin America and the Caribbean2017-20216.0319203.52
Latvia2020-20211.0734.940.18
Lebanon2020-202158.794.51.84
Lesotho2020-20212.573.020.04
Liberia2020-20210.262320.15
Libya2020-2021817.140.75.83
Liechtenstein20200
Lithuania2020-20211.8324.50.25
Luxembourg2020-20213.963.50.05
Madagascar2020-202111.2633713.56
Malawi2020-202117.517.281.36
Malaysia2020-20213.445805.49
Maldives2020-202115.670.030.01
Mali2020-202181205.19
Malta2020-202178.280.050.06
Marshall Islands20200
Mauritania2020-202113.2511.41.35
Mauritius2020-202121.962.750.61
Mexico2020-202145.02461.8989.55
Micronesia (Federated States of)20200
Monaco20200
Mongolia2020-20213.434.80.46
Montenegro20200.16
Morocco2020-202150.752910.43
Mozambique2020-20211.75217.11.47
Myanmar2020-20215.81167.833.39
Namibia2020-20210.8639.910.29
Nauru20200.01
Nepal2020-20218.31210.29.5
Netherlands2020-202116.08918.31
New Zealand2020-20218.053274.89
Nicaragua2020-20212.22164.521.27
Niger2020-202111.0234.052.58
Nigeria2020-20219.67286.212.48
Niue20200
North Macedonia2020-202137.976.40.47
Northern Africa and Western Asia2017-202179.74580.4
Norway2020-20212.013932.69
Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)2017-20210.16884.26
Oman2020-2021116.711.41.92
Pakistan2020-2021162.07246.8183.45
Palau20200
Panama2020-20210.9139.31.21
Papua New Guinea2020-20210.138010.39
Paraguay2020-20211.84387.772.41
Peru2020-20217.181879.838.55
Philippines2020-202127.2147985.87
Poland2020-202132.0860.59.21
Portugal2020-202112.3277.46.13
Puerto Rico2020-202119.547.13.27
Qatar2020-2021431.030.060.88
Republic of Korea2020-202185.2269.727.08
Republic of Moldova2020-202112.5612.270.8
Romania2020-20217.36212.016.42
Russian Federation2020-20214.124525.4464.82
Rwanda2020-202120.213.30.6
Réunion20214.3
Saint Kitts and Nevis2020-202150.830.020.02
Saint Lucia2020-202114.30.30.04
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines2020-20217.90.10.01
Samoa20200
Sao Tome and Principe2020-20211.882.180.04
Saudi Arabia2020-2021974.172.425.99
Senegal2020-202116.2838.973.02
Serbia2020-20215.69162.25.32
Seychelles202000.01
Sierra Leone2020-20210.51600.21
Singapore2020-202183.120.60.66
Slovakia2020-20212.4450.10.56
Slovenia2020-20216.2931.871
Solomon Islands202044.7
Somalia2020-202124.5314.73.3
South Africa2020-202166.8951.3519.19
South Sudan2020-20214.2349.50.66
Spain2020-202143.25111.529.02
Sri Lanka2020-202190.7952.812.95
State of Palestine2020-202147.750.840.45
Sub-Saharan Africa2017-20216.35488.56
Sudan2020-2021118.6637.826.94
Suriname2020-20213.95990.62
Sweden2020-20213.581742.48
Switzerland2020-20216.553.51.77
Syrian Arab Republic2020-2021124.3616.816.76
Tajikistan2020-202169.9421.919.9
Thailand2020-202123.01438.6157.31
Timor-Leste2020-202128.278.221.17
Togo2020-20213.3914.70.22
Tokelau20200
Tonga20200
Trinidad and Tobago2020-202120.333.840.38
Tunisia2020-202198.114.623.59
Turkmenistan2020-2021135.2124.7626.24
Tuvalu20200
Türkiye2020-202143.38211.662.21
Uganda2020-20215.8360.10.64
Ukraine2020-202112.26175.289.87
United Arab Emirates2020-20211533.330.154.98
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland2020-202114.351478.42
United Republic of Tanzania2020-202112.9696.275.18
United States of America2020-202128.163069444.29
Uruguay2020-20219.79172.23.66
Uzbekistan2020-2021121.8448.8758.9
Vanuatu202010
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)2020-20217.54132522.63
Viet Nam2020-202118.13884.1282.03
World2017-202118.5542825.6
Yemen2020-2021169.762.13.56
Zambia2020-20212.84104.81.57
Zimbabwe2020-202146.09203.77
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