Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Municipal water withdrawal
Saudi Arabia
3.39 billion cubic meters
in 2023
South Africa
4.23 billion cubic meters
in 2023
Saudi Arabia rank
29th
South Africa rank
26th
Municipal water withdrawal over time
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 4.23 billion cubic meters against 3.39 billion cubic meters in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 839.74 million cubic meters.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Saudi Arabia's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1992 it was South Africa ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 26th of 183 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.85 billion cubic meters | 3.17 billion cubic meters | 1.32 billion cubic meters | South Africa |
| 2000s | 2.18 billion cubic meters | 4.00 billion cubic meters | 1.82 billion cubic meters | South Africa |
| 2010s | 2.91 billion cubic meters | 3.81 billion cubic meters | 903.93 million cubic meters | South Africa |
| 2020s | 3.39 billion cubic meters | 3.57 billion cubic meters | 175.19 million cubic meters | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher municipal water withdrawal, Saudi Arabia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 4.23 billion cubic meters against 3.39 billion cubic meters in Saudi Arabia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in municipal water withdrawal between Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 839.74 million cubic meters, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2023.
- How do Saudi Arabia and South Africa rank globally for municipal water withdrawal?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 26th of 183 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 Municipal 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Water withdrawn each year for direct use by the population, usually measured as the total supplied by the public distribution network.