South Africa vs Spain: Industrial water withdrawal
South Africa
4.73 billion cubic meters
in 2023
Spain
5.50 billion cubic meters
in 2023
South Africa rank
19th
Spain rank
16th
Industrial water withdrawal over time
- South Africa
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 5.50 billion cubic meters against 4.73 billion cubic meters in South Africa, a difference of 766.78 million cubic meters.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, Spain has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 19th and Spain ranks 16th of 180 countries.
Spain has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.20 billion cubic meters | 6.72 billion cubic meters | 5.52 billion cubic meters | Spain |
| 2000s | 1.25 billion cubic meters | 7.16 billion cubic meters | 5.91 billion cubic meters | Spain |
| 2010s | 2.88 billion cubic meters | 6.18 billion cubic meters | 3.30 billion cubic meters | Spain |
| 2020s | 4.38 billion cubic meters | 5.50 billion cubic meters | 1.12 billion cubic meters | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher industrial water withdrawal, South Africa or Spain?
- Spain, at 5.50 billion cubic meters against 4.73 billion cubic meters in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in industrial water withdrawal between South Africa and Spain?
- 766.78 million cubic meters, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for industrial water withdrawal?
- South Africa ranks 19th and Spain ranks 16th 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Water withdrawn each year by self-supplied industries.