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Northern Africa and Western Asia

Countries (and areas) in the region

Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, State of Palestine, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, Yemen

Land

  • Total area: --- 
  • Land area: 12,404,604 km2 (2020) 
  • Land use by sector: 36% agriculture, 5% forest and 59% other (2016 - 2020)

People

  • Total population: 602,426,538 people (2021 - 2022)
  • Population density: 269 people per km2 (2020)
  • Urbanisation: 56 % lives in urban areas and 32 % lives in rural areas (2001 - 2020)

Economy

  • Total GDP: 8,822,970,531,067 USD per year (2018 - 2020)
  • GDP per capita: 14,646 USD per year (2018 - 2020)
  • Value added by sector: 6% from agriculture, 54% from services and 39% from industry (2019 - 2022)
The above data are estimates based on the latest available data for all countries (and areas) in the region. The estimates are not adjusted for potentially missing or outdated country (and area) data.
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SDG 6 snapshot Northern Africa and Western Asia

  • Drinking water

    77 % of the population in Northern Africa and Western Asia uses a safely managed drinking water service (SDG indicator 6.1.1, 2022)

  • Sanitation

    64 % of the population in Northern Africa and Western Asia uses a safely managed sanitation service (SDG indicator 6.2.1a, 2022)

  • Hygiene

    84 % of the population in Northern Africa and Western Asia has a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home (SDG indicator 6.2.1b, 2020)

  • Wastewater

    64 % of domestic wastewater in Northern Africa and Western Asia is safely treated (SDG indicator 6.3.1, 2022)

  • Water quality

    67 % of monitored water bodies in Northern Africa and Western Asia has good ambient water quality (SDG indicator 6.3.2, 2023)

  • Efficiency

    13 $/m<sup>3</sup> is the value added from the use of water by people and the economy in Northern Africa and Western Asia (SDG indicator 6.4.1, 2021)

  • Water stress

    80 % of the renewable water resources in Northern Africa and Western Asia is being withdrawn, after taking into account environmental flow requirements (SDG indicator 6.4.2, 2021)

  • Water management

    64 % is the degree of implementation of integrated water resources management in Northern Africa and Western Asia (SDG indicator 6.5.1, 2023) 

  • Transboundary

    --- % of transboundary basin area has an operational arrangement for water cooperation (SDG indicator 6.5.2, 2023)

  • Ecosystems

    18 % of the water basins in Northern Africa and Western Asia is experiencing rapid changes in the area covered by surface waters (SDG 6 indicator 6.6.1, 2020)

  • Cooperation

    1943 m$ is the amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Northern Africa and Western Asia in 2022 (SDG indicator 6.a.1)

  • Participation

    + is the average number of sub-sectors (out of 6) with a high level of participation by communities in Northern Africa and Western Asia (SDG indicator 6.b.1, 2021)

Drinking water

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Northern Africa and Western Asia, progress over time

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Northern Africa and Western Asia, by service level and location (2022)

Sanitation and hygiene

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Northern Africa and Western Asia, progress over time

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Northern Africa and Western Asia, by service level and location (2022)

6.2.1b Proportion of population with a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home in Northern Africa and Western Asia, by service level and location (2022)

Water quality and wastewater

6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated  > Domestic in Northern Africa and Western Asia (2020-2023)

6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality in Northern Africa and Western Asia (2020-2023)

Water use and scarcity

Water resources and withdrawal in Northern Africa and Western Asia, total and per capita

Renewable water resources, regional average: 999 m3 per capita (2020)
Water withdrawal, regional average: 572 m3 per capita (2020)
Renewable water resources, water withdrawal and environmental flow requirements for all reporting countries (and areas) in the region ( - 2020):    

6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources in Northern Africa and Western Asia, change over time

6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in Northern Africa and Western Asia, progress over time

Water-use efficiency and its components, by sector, for all reporting countries (and areas) in Northern Africa and Western Asia (2021)

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 resources management

6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100) in Northern Africa and Western Asia, progress over time, by dimension

Degree of IWRM implementation (0-100): Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation in Northern Africa and Western Asia, progress over time, by component

Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

International cooperation and capacity-building

6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Northern Africa and Western Asia, by country (and area) and over time

Annual expenditure for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in Northern Africa and Western Asia, per capita and by funding source

Community participation

6.b.1 Number of countries (or areas) with clearly defined Procedures in law or policy for participation by users/communities and with a high Level of participation by users/communities in Northern Africa and Western Asia (2021)

6.b.1 Procedures in law or policy for participation by users/communities in countries (and areas) in Northern Africa and Western Asia (2021)

6.b.1 Level of participation by users/communities in countries (and areas) in Northern Africa and Western Asia ()