Belgium vs South Africa: Industrial water withdrawal
Belgium
4.14 billion cubic meters
in 2023
South Africa
4.73 billion cubic meters
in 2023
Belgium rank
21st
South Africa rank
19th
Industrial water withdrawal over time
- Belgium
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 4.73 billion cubic meters against 4.14 billion cubic meters in Belgium, a difference of 593.26 million cubic meters.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Belgium's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Belgium ahead.
Belgium ranks 21st and South Africa ranks 19th of 180 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.27 billion cubic meters | 1.20 billion cubic meters | 6.08 billion cubic meters | Belgium |
| 2000s | 5.79 billion cubic meters | 1.25 billion cubic meters | 4.54 billion cubic meters | Belgium |
| 2010s | 3.79 billion cubic meters | 2.88 billion cubic meters | 908.45 million cubic meters | Belgium |
| 2020s | 4.01 billion cubic meters | 4.38 billion cubic meters | 367.28 million cubic meters | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher industrial water withdrawal, Belgium or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 4.73 billion cubic meters against 4.14 billion cubic meters in Belgium as of 2023.
- What is the difference in industrial water withdrawal between Belgium and South Africa?
- 593.26 million cubic meters, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and South Africa rank globally for industrial water withdrawal?
- Belgium ranks 21st and South Africa ranks 19th of 180 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Industrial water withdrawal. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Water withdrawn each year by self-supplied industries.