Japan vs South Africa: Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals

Japan
17.0%
in 2022
South Africa
17.4%
in 2022
Japan rank
100th
South Africa rank
99th

Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals over time

  • Japan
  • South Africa
0102030198020012022

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 17.4% against 17.0% in Japan, a difference of 0.4%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Japan ahead.

Japan ranks 100th and South Africa ranks 99th of 180 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 18.5% 23.2% 4.7% South Africa
2000s 19.1% 29.2% 10.1% South Africa
2010s 18.7% 22.4% 3.7% South Africa
2020s 17.0% 17.0% 0.1% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals, Japan or South Africa?
South Africa, at 17.4% against 17.0% in Japan as of 2022.
What is the difference in municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals between Japan and South Africa?
0.4%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Africa?
33 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2022.
How do Japan and South Africa rank globally for municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals?
Japan ranks 100th and South Africa ranks 99th of 180 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 Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Japan vs South Africa: Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals. Statizoid, drawing on AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/municipal-water-as-a-share-of-total-water-withdrawals/japan/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals
Unit
% of total freshwater withdrawal
Source
AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
180 places, 5,812 data points, 1965–2022
Last refreshed

Municipal (domestic) water withdrawals as a percentage of total water withdrawals (which is the sum of water used for agriculture, industry, and municipal purposes).