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, 2018)
Available data series: 2000-2018
Number of countries (and areas) reporting in the last five years: 169
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 (2017-2018)
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 (2017-2018)
- 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 (2018)
Status of different components of indicator 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time
Water-use efficiency and its components, by sector, for all reporting countries (and areas) in the world (2018)
Water-use efficiency for ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ only takes into account the proportion of gross value added that comes from irrigated agriculture, since that activity is associated with water withdrawal (other activities are rain-fed).
Water-use efficiency for ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ only takes into account the proportion of gross value added that comes from irrigated agriculture, since that activity is associated with water withdrawal (other activities are rain-fed).
Country (or area), region and world data for the latest year of reporting: 2017 - 2018
| Country (or area), SDG region, world | Year | 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Agriculture, forestry and fishing | Industry | Services | |||||
| Afghanistan | 2018 | 0.93 | ||||||
| Albania | 2018 | 10.33 | ||||||
| Algeria | 2018 | 14.63 | ||||||
| Angola | 2018 | 142 | ||||||
| Antigua and Barbuda | 2018 | 118.43 | ||||||
| Argentina | 2018 | 13.26 | ||||||
| Armenia | 2018 | 3.58 | ||||||
| Australia | 2018 | 70.20 | ||||||
| Austria | 2018 | 103.41 | ||||||
| Azerbaijan | 2018 | 3.87 | ||||||
| Bahrain | 2018 | 78.07 | ||||||
| Bangladesh | 2018 | 6.16 | ||||||
| Barbados | 2018 | 52.43 | ||||||
| Belarus | 2018 | 33.15 | ||||||
| Belgium | 2018 | 107.71 | ||||||
| Belize | 2018 | 13.85 | ||||||
| Benin | 2018 | 29.35 | ||||||
| Bhutan | 2018 | 6.26 | ||||||
| Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | 2018 | 13.71 | ||||||
| Botswana | 2018 | 74.45 | ||||||
| Brazil | 2018 | 22.62 | ||||||
| Bulgaria | 2018 | 8.63 | ||||||
| Burkina Faso | 2018 | 11.76 | ||||||
| Burundi | 2018 | 6.26 | ||||||
| Cabo Verde | 2018 | 54.04 | ||||||
| Cambodia | 2018 | 7.63 | ||||||
| Cameroon | 2018 | 24.82 | ||||||
| Canada | 2018 | 42.39 | ||||||
| Central African Republic | 2018 | 17.35 | ||||||
| Chad | 2018 | 9.51 | ||||||
| Chile | 2018 | 2.37 | ||||||
| China | 2018 | 23.54 | ||||||
| Colombia | 2018 | 19.30 | ||||||
| Comoros | 2018 | 72.69 | ||||||
| Congo | 2018 | 97.52 | ||||||
| Costa Rica | 2018 | 22.44 | ||||||
| Côte d'Ivoire | 2018 | 25.46 | ||||||
| Croatia | 2018 | 60.08 | ||||||
| Cuba | 2018 | 12.60 | ||||||
| Cyprus | 2018 | 64.36 | ||||||
| Czechia | 2018 | 113.71 | ||||||
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 2018 | 1.66 | ||||||
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2018 | 47.85 | ||||||
| Denmark | 2018 | 262.21 | ||||||
| Dominican Republic | 2018 | 8.01 | ||||||
| Ecuador | 2018 | 9.18 | ||||||
| Egypt | 2018 | 4.58 | ||||||
| El Salvador | 2018 | 10.23 | ||||||
| Eritrea | 2018 | 7.22 | ||||||
| Estonia | 2018 | 13.75 | ||||||
| Eswatini | 2018 | 3.60 | ||||||
| Ethiopia | 2018 | 4.87 | ||||||
| Fiji | 2018 | 43.05 | ||||||
| Finland | 2018 | 113.34 | ||||||
| France | 2018 | 83.01 | ||||||
| Gabon | 2018 | 95.14 | ||||||
| Gambia | 2018 | 11.15 | ||||||
| Georgia | 2018 | 10.78 | ||||||
| Germany | 2018 | 111.60 | ||||||
| Ghana | 2018 | 29.86 | ||||||
| Greece | 2018 | 17.12 | ||||||
| Guatemala | 2018 | 18.94 | ||||||
| Guinea | 2018 | 9.13 | ||||||
| Guinea-Bissau | 2018 | 3.15 | ||||||
| Guyana | 2018 | 1.96 | ||||||
| Haiti | 2018 | 4.94 | ||||||
| Honduras | 2018 | 12.53 | ||||||
| Hungary | 2018 | 25.08 | ||||||
| Iceland | 2018 | 60.57 | ||||||
| India | 2018 | 3.02 | ||||||
| Indonesia | 2018 | 3.94 | ||||||
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 2018 | 4.55 | ||||||
| Iraq | 2018 | 5.42 | ||||||
| Ireland | 2018 | 229.46 | ||||||
| Israel | 2018 | 138.97 | ||||||
| Italy | 2018 | 49.37 | ||||||
| Jamaica | 2018 | 8.85 | ||||||
| Japan | 2018 | 56.70 | ||||||
| Jordan | 2018 | 35.64 | ||||||
| Kazakhstan | 2018 | 7.20 | ||||||
| Kenya | 2018 | 11.26 | ||||||
| Kuwait | 2018 | 102.12 | ||||||
| Kyrgyzstan | 2018 | 0.86 | ||||||
| Lao People's Democratic Republic | 2018 | 1.87 | ||||||
| Latvia | 2018 | 140.68 | ||||||
| Lebanon | 2018 | 25.62 | ||||||
| Lesotho | 2018 | 49.75 | ||||||
| Liberia | 2018 | 4.59 | ||||||
| Libya | 2018 | 4.33 | ||||||
| Lithuania | 2018 | 156.80 | ||||||
| Luxembourg | 2018 | 1096.77 | ||||||
| Madagascar | 2018 | 0.77 | ||||||
| Malawi | 2018 | 3.26 | ||||||
| Malaysia | 2018 | 58.39 | ||||||
| Mali | 2018 | 1.85 | ||||||
| Malta | 2018 | 178.83 | ||||||
| Mauritania | 2018 | 3.92 | ||||||
| Mauritius | 2018 | 18.85 | ||||||
| Mexico | 2018 | 13 | ||||||
| Mongolia | 2018 | 22.89 | ||||||
| Montenegro | 2018 | 21.93 | ||||||
| Morocco | 2018 | 8.73 | ||||||
| Mozambique | 2018 | 7.90 | ||||||
| Myanmar | 2018 | 1.84 | ||||||
| Namibia | 2018 | 35.31 | ||||||
| Nepal | 2018 | 2.24 | ||||||
| Netherlands | 2018 | 90.27 | ||||||
| New Zealand | 2018 | 34.48 | ||||||
| Nicaragua | 2018 | 6.77 | ||||||
| Niger | 2018 | 3.67 | ||||||
| Nigeria | 2018 | 31.27 | ||||||
| North Macedonia | 2018 | 10.02 | ||||||
| Norway | 2018 | 120.82 | ||||||
| Oman | 2018 | 37.87 | ||||||
| Pakistan | 2018 | 1.55 | ||||||
| Panama | 2018 | 48.36 | ||||||
| Paraguay | 2018 | 14.20 | ||||||
| Peru | 2018 | 11.88 | ||||||
| Philippines | 2018 | 3.56 | ||||||
| Poland | 2018 | 46.26 | ||||||
| Portugal | 2018 | 29.94 | ||||||
| Puerto Rico | 2018 | 28.85 | ||||||
| Qatar | 2018 | 200.85 | ||||||
| Republic of Korea | 2018 | 53.81 | ||||||
| Republic of Moldova | 2018 | 7.96 | ||||||
| Romania | 2018 | 27.91 | ||||||
| Russian Federation | 2018 | 19.29 | ||||||
| Rwanda | 2018 | 35.27 | ||||||
| Sao Tome and Principe | 2018 | 7.69 | ||||||
| Saudi Arabia | 2018 | 28.37 | ||||||
| Senegal | 2018 | 7.40 | ||||||
| Serbia | 2018 | 5.94 | ||||||
| Seychelles | 2018 | 97.08 | ||||||
| Sierra Leone | 2018 | 8.70 | ||||||
| Slovakia | 2018 | 138.29 | ||||||
| Slovenia | 2018 | 42.90 | ||||||
| Somalia | 2018 | 0.20 | ||||||
| South Africa | 2018 | 14.32 | ||||||
| South Sudan | 2018 | 20.02 | ||||||
| Spain | 2018 | 36.76 | ||||||
| Sri Lanka | 2018 | 6.06 | ||||||
| State of Palestine | 2018 | 34.08 | ||||||
| Sudan | 2018 | 2.64 | ||||||
| Suriname | 2018 | 7.13 | ||||||
| Sweden | 2018 | 198.51 | ||||||
| Switzerland | 2018 | 339.72 | ||||||
| Syrian Arab Republic | 2018 | 1 | ||||||
| Tajikistan | 2018 | 0.91 | ||||||
| Thailand | 2018 | 7.40 | ||||||
| Timor-Leste | 2018 | 2.28 | ||||||
| Togo | 2018 | 13.63 | ||||||
| Trinidad and Tobago | 2018 | 58.10 | ||||||
| Tunisia | 2018 | 10.16 | ||||||
| Turkey | 2018 | 14.08 | ||||||
| Turkmenistan | 2018 | 1.53 | ||||||
| Uganda | 2018 | 32.44 | ||||||
| Ukraine | 2018 | 6.59 | ||||||
| United Arab Emirates | 2018 | 73.92 | ||||||
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 2018 | 324.34 | ||||||
| United Republic of Tanzania | 2018 | 7.50 | ||||||
| United States of America | 2018 | 52.28 | ||||||
| Uruguay | 2018 | 13.33 | ||||||
| Uzbekistan | 2018 | 1.42 | ||||||
| Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 2018 | 7.80 | ||||||
| Viet Nam | 2018 | 2.52 | ||||||
| Western Sahara | 2017 | 17 | ||||||
| Yemen | 2018 | 5.15 | ||||||
| Zambia | 2018 | 13.31 | ||||||
| Zimbabwe | 2018 | 4.83 | ||||||
| Australia and New Zealand | 2018 | 61.97 | ||||||
| Central and Southern Asia | 2018 | 2.95 | ||||||
| Eastern and South-Eastern Asia | 2018 | 18.86 | ||||||
| Europe and Northern America | 2018 | 55.77 | ||||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 2018 | 11.89 | ||||||
| Northern Africa and Western Asia | 2018 | 12.31 | ||||||
| Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) | 2018 | 79.78 | ||||||
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 2018 | 12.89 | ||||||
| World | 2018 | 19.36 | ||||||