Netherlands vs South Africa: Industrial water withdrawal
Netherlands
5.05 billion cubic meters
in 2023
South Africa
4.73 billion cubic meters
in 2023
Netherlands rank
18th
South Africa rank
19th
Industrial water withdrawal over time
- Netherlands
- South Africa
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 5.05 billion cubic meters against 4.73 billion cubic meters in South Africa, a difference of 312.08 million cubic meters.
That makes Netherlands's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, Netherlands has been ahead every year.
Netherlands ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 19th of 180 countries.
Netherlands has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.92 billion cubic meters | 1.20 billion cubic meters | 4.72 billion cubic meters | Netherlands |
| 2000s | 8.99 billion cubic meters | 1.25 billion cubic meters | 7.74 billion cubic meters | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 7.60 billion cubic meters | 2.88 billion cubic meters | 4.72 billion cubic meters | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 5.64 billion cubic meters | 4.38 billion cubic meters | 1.26 billion cubic meters | Netherlands |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher industrial water withdrawal, Netherlands or South Africa?
- Netherlands, at 5.05 billion cubic meters against 4.73 billion cubic meters in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in industrial water withdrawal between Netherlands and South Africa?
- 312.08 million cubic meters, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Netherlands and South Africa rank globally for industrial water withdrawal?
- Netherlands ranks 18th 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Water withdrawn each year by self-supplied industries.