What is the difference in water withdrawals per capita between India and Sri Lanka?

34.39 cubic meters per person, with Sri Lanka ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for India and Sri Lanka?

34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.

Where does this data come from?

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

India vs Sri Lanka: Water withdrawals per capita

India

529.18 cubic meters per person

in 2023

Sri Lanka

563.57 cubic meters per person

in 2023

India rank

55th

Sri Lanka rank

52nd

Water withdrawals per capita over time

India
Sri Lanka

How they compare

Sri Lanka currently reports 563.57 cubic meters per person against 529.18 cubic meters per person in India, a difference of 34.39 cubic meters per person.

That makes Sri Lanka's figure about 1.1 times India's.

Across all 34 years both countries report, Sri Lanka has been ahead every year.

India ranks 55th and Sri Lanka ranks 52nd of 180 countries.

Sri Lanka has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	India	Sri Lanka	Difference	Ahead
1990s	577.95 cubic meters per person	640.06 cubic meters per person	62.11 cubic meters per person	Sri Lanka
2000s	592.44 cubic meters per person	644.79 cubic meters per person	52.34 cubic meters per person	Sri Lanka
2010s	577.81 cubic meters per person	598.69 cubic meters per person	20.88 cubic meters per person	Sri Lanka
2020s	535.93 cubic meters per person	568.65 cubic meters per person	32.72 cubic meters per person	Sri Lanka

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher water withdrawals per capita, India or Sri Lanka?: Sri Lanka, at 563.57 cubic meters per person against 529.18 cubic meters per person in India as of 2023.
What is the difference in water withdrawals per capita between India and Sri Lanka?: 34.39 cubic meters per person, with Sri Lanka ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for India and Sri Lanka?: 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
How do India and Sri Lanka rank globally for water withdrawals per capita?: India ranks 55th and Sri Lanka ranks 52nd of 180 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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India vs Sri Lanka: Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/water-withdrawals-per-capita/india/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator: Water withdrawals per capita
Unit: cubic meters per person
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 180 places, 6,452 data points, 1962–2023
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.