Iran vs Iraq: Water withdrawals per capita
Iran
1,030 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Iraq
1,071 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Iran rank
14th
Iraq rank
12th
Water withdrawals per capita over time
- Iran
- Iraq
How they compare
Iraq currently reports 1,071 cubic meters per person against 1,030 cubic meters per person in Iran, a difference of 41 cubic meters per person.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 49 shared years of data; in 1975 it was Iraq ahead.
Iran ranks 14th and Iraq ranks 12th of 180 countries.
Iraq has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Iraq | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1,327 cubic meters per person | 3,300 cubic meters per person | 1,973 cubic meters per person | Iraq |
| 1980s | 1,203 cubic meters per person | 2,684 cubic meters per person | 1,480 cubic meters per person | Iraq |
| 1990s | 1,244 cubic meters per person | 2,603 cubic meters per person | 1,359 cubic meters per person | Iraq |
| 2000s | 1,294 cubic meters per person | 2,121 cubic meters per person | 826.37 cubic meters per person | Iraq |
| 2010s | 1,137 cubic meters per person | 1,176 cubic meters per person | 38.84 cubic meters per person | Iraq |
| 2020s | 1,048 cubic meters per person | 1,228 cubic meters per person | 180.3 cubic meters per person | Iraq |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher water withdrawals per capita, Iran or Iraq?
- Iraq, at 1,071 cubic meters per person against 1,030 cubic meters per person in Iran as of 2023.
- What is the difference in water withdrawals per capita between Iran and Iraq?
- 41 cubic meters per person, with Iraq ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Iraq?
- 49 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2023.
- How do Iran and Iraq rank globally for water withdrawals per capita?
- Iran ranks 14th and Iraq ranks 12th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.