Australia vs China: Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals
Australia
18.6%
in 2022
China
17.7%
in 2022
Australia rank
57th
China rank
59th
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals over time
- Australia
- China
How they compare
Australia currently reports 18.6% against 17.7% in China, a difference of 0.9%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 22 shared years of data; in 2001 it was China ahead.
Australia ranks 57th and China ranks 59th of 179 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and China in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.4% | 23.0% | 9.6% | China |
| 2010s | 17.0% | 22.5% | 5.5% | China |
| 2020s | 20.0% | 17.7% | 2.3% | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals, Australia or China?
- Australia, at 18.6% against 17.7% in China as of 2022.
- What is the difference in industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals between Australia and China?
- 0.9%, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and China?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2022.
- How do Australia and China rank globally for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Australia ranks 57th and China ranks 59th of 179 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 Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Industrial water withdrawals as a percentage of total water withdrawals (which is the sum of water used for agriculture, industry, and municipal purposes).