Chile vs South Korea: Annual freshwater withdrawals

Chile
35.37 billion billion cubic meters
in 2022
South Korea
29.20 billion billion cubic meters
in 2022
Chile rank
21st
South Korea rank
24th

Annual freshwater withdrawals over time

  • Chile
  • South Korea
010.0B20.0B30.0B40.0B199020062022

How they compare

Chile currently reports 35.37 billion billion cubic meters against 29.20 billion billion cubic meters in South Korea, a difference of 6.17 billion billion cubic meters.

That makes Chile's figure about 1.2 times South Korea's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 31 shared years of data; in 1992 it was South Korea ahead.

Chile ranks 21st and South Korea ranks 24th of 181 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Chile averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Chile South Korea Difference Ahead
1990s 24.07 billion billion cubic meters 24.42 billion billion cubic meters 344.94 million billion cubic meters South Korea
2000s 33.11 billion billion cubic meters 28.96 billion billion cubic meters 4.15 billion billion cubic meters Chile
2010s 35.37 billion billion cubic meters 29.20 billion billion cubic meters 6.17 billion billion cubic meters Chile
2020s 35.37 billion billion cubic meters 29.20 billion billion cubic meters 6.17 billion billion cubic meters Chile

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher annual freshwater withdrawals, Chile or South Korea?
Chile, at 35.37 billion billion cubic meters against 29.20 billion billion cubic meters in South Korea as of 2022.
What is the difference in annual freshwater withdrawals between Chile and South Korea?
6.17 billion billion cubic meters, with Chile ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Chile and South Korea?
31 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2022.
How do Chile and South Korea rank globally for annual freshwater withdrawals?
Chile ranks 21st and South Korea ranks 24th of 181 countries.
Where does this data come from?
AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Annual freshwater withdrawals. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Annual freshwater withdrawals
Unit
billion cubic meters
Source
AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
181 places, 6,284 data points, 1962–2022
Last refreshed

Annual freshwater withdrawals refer to total water withdrawals, not counting evaporation losses from storage basins, measured in cubic metres (m³) per year. Total water withdrawals are the sum of withdrawals for agriculture, industry and municipal (domestic uses). Withdrawals also include water from desalination plants in countries where they are a significant source.