China vs India: Annual freshwater withdrawals
Annual freshwater withdrawals over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 647.50 billion billion cubic meters against 568.48 billion billion cubic meters in China, a difference of 79.02 billion billion cubic meters.
That makes India's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 43 shared years of data; in 1980 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 181 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 474.55 billion billion cubic meters | 479.86 billion billion cubic meters | 5.30 billion billion cubic meters | India |
| 1990s | 527.97 billion billion cubic meters | 549.68 billion billion cubic meters | 21.71 billion billion cubic meters | India |
| 2000s | 561.10 billion billion cubic meters | 633.90 billion billion cubic meters | 72.80 billion billion cubic meters | India |
| 2010s | 595.35 billion billion cubic meters | 647.50 billion billion cubic meters | 52.16 billion billion cubic meters | India |
| 2020s | 568.48 billion billion cubic meters | 647.50 billion billion cubic meters | 79.02 billion billion cubic meters | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual freshwater withdrawals, China or India?
- India, at 647.50 billion billion cubic meters against 568.48 billion billion cubic meters in China as of 2022.
- What is the difference in annual freshwater withdrawals between China and India?
- 79.02 billion billion cubic meters, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 43 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2022.
- How do China and India rank globally for annual freshwater withdrawals?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st 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
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.