China vs Spain: Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals
China
17.7%
in 2022
Spain
19.0%
in 2022
China rank
59th
Spain rank
56th
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals over time
- China
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 19.0% against 17.7% in China, a difference of 1.3%.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 37 shared years of data; in 1986 it was Spain ahead.
China ranks 59th and Spain ranks 56th of 179 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Spain in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.8% | 23.7% | 14.9% | Spain |
| 1990s | 17.1% | 18.7% | 1.6% | Spain |
| 2000s | 22.8% | 19.8% | 3.0% | China |
| 2010s | 22.5% | 19.1% | 3.3% | China |
| 2020s | 17.7% | 19.0% | 1.2% | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals, China or Spain?
- Spain, at 19.0% against 17.7% in China as of 2022.
- What is the difference in industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals between China and Spain?
- 1.3%, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Spain?
- 37 years are reported by both, from 1986 to 2022.
- How do China and Spain rank globally for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- China ranks 59th and Spain ranks 56th 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).