Iceland vs Qatar: Annual freshwater withdrawals
Annual freshwater withdrawals over time
- Iceland
- Qatar
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 290.00 million billion cubic meters against 250.00 million billion cubic meters in Qatar, a difference of 40.00 million billion cubic meters.
That makes Iceland's figure about 1.2 times Qatar's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 43 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Qatar ahead.
Iceland ranks 143rd and Qatar ranks 145th of 181 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 2 and Qatar in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | Qatar | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 121.80 million billion cubic meters | 217.45 million billion cubic meters | 95.65 million billion cubic meters | Qatar |
| 1990s | 165.60 million billion cubic meters | 172.98 million billion cubic meters | 7.38 million billion cubic meters | Qatar |
| 2000s | 189.24 million billion cubic meters | 205.94 million billion cubic meters | 16.70 million billion cubic meters | Qatar |
| 2010s | 281.18 million billion cubic meters | 247.88 million billion cubic meters | 33.30 million billion cubic meters | Iceland |
| 2020s | 290.00 million billion cubic meters | 250.00 million billion cubic meters | 40.00 million billion cubic meters | Iceland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual freshwater withdrawals, Iceland or Qatar?
- Iceland, at 290.00 million billion cubic meters against 250.00 million billion cubic meters in Qatar as of 2022.
- What is the difference in annual freshwater withdrawals between Iceland and Qatar?
- 40.00 million billion cubic meters, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Qatar?
- 43 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2022.
- How do Iceland and Qatar rank globally for annual freshwater withdrawals?
- Iceland ranks 143rd and Qatar ranks 145th 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.