Annual freshwater withdrawals in Ghana
Ghana: Annual freshwater withdrawals was 1.45 billion billion cubic meters in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
1.45 billion billion cubic meters
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
100th
of 181 countries
All-time high
1.45 billion billion cubic meters
in 2016
All-time low
300.00 million billion cubic meters
in 1970
Years of data
53
1970–2022
Annual freshwater withdrawals in Ghana, 1970–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in billion cubic meters.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 1.45 billion billion cubic meters for annual freshwater withdrawals in 2022. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
The figure is up 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual freshwater withdrawals in Ghana peaked at 1.45 billion billion cubic meters in 2016 and was at its lowest, 300.00 million billion cubic meters, in 1970.
Ghana ranks 100th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Annual freshwater withdrawals in Ghana, year by year
| Year | billion cubic meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 300.00 million billion cubic meters | — |
| 1971 | 322.73 million billion cubic meters | +7.6% |
| 1972 | 345.47 million billion cubic meters | +7.0% |
| 1973 | 368.20 million billion cubic meters | +6.6% |
| 1974 | 390.93 million billion cubic meters | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 413.67 million billion cubic meters | +5.8% |
| 1976 | 436.40 million billion cubic meters | +5.5% |
| 1977 | 459.13 million billion cubic meters | +5.2% |
| 1978 | 481.87 million billion cubic meters | +5.0% |
| 1979 | 504.60 million billion cubic meters | +4.7% |
| 1980 | 527.33 million billion cubic meters | +4.5% |
| 1981 | 550.07 million billion cubic meters | +4.3% |
| 1982 | 572.80 million billion cubic meters | +4.1% |
| 1983 | 595.53 million billion cubic meters | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 618.27 million billion cubic meters | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 641.00 million billion cubic meters | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 663.73 million billion cubic meters | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 686.47 million billion cubic meters | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 709.20 million billion cubic meters | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 731.93 million billion cubic meters | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 754.67 million billion cubic meters | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 777.40 million billion cubic meters | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 800.13 million billion cubic meters | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 822.87 million billion cubic meters | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 845.60 million billion cubic meters | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 868.33 million billion cubic meters | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 891.07 million billion cubic meters | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 913.80 million billion cubic meters | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 936.53 million billion cubic meters | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 959.27 million billion cubic meters | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 982.00 million billion cubic meters | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 1.01 billion billion cubic meters | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 1.04 billion billion cubic meters | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 1.06 billion billion cubic meters | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 1.09 billion billion cubic meters | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 1.12 billion billion cubic meters | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 1.14 billion billion cubic meters | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 1.17 billion billion cubic meters | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 1.20 billion billion cubic meters | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 1.23 billion billion cubic meters | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 1.25 billion billion cubic meters | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 1.28 billion billion cubic meters | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 1.32 billion billion cubic meters | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 1.34 billion billion cubic meters | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 1.36 billion billion cubic meters | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 1.44 billion billion cubic meters | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 1.45 billion billion cubic meters is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.51 billion billion cubic meters, 96% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 1.45 billion billion cubic meters is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 694.65 million billion cubic meters, 2.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 402.30 million billion cubic meters | 300.00 million billion cubic meters | 504.60 million billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 1980s | 629.63 million billion cubic meters | 527.33 million billion cubic meters | 731.93 million billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 1990s | 856.97 million billion cubic meters | 754.67 million billion cubic meters | 959.27 million billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.10 billion billion cubic meters | 982.00 million billion cubic meters | 1.23 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.38 billion billion cubic meters | 1.25 billion billion cubic meters | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | 1.45 billion billion cubic meters | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 97 Israel 1.53 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 98 Mozambique 1.47 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 99 Haiti 1.45 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 101 Czechia 1.45 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 102 Guyana 1.44 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 103 Belarus 1.41 billion billion cubic meters compare
More environment data for Ghana
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -13.57 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -11.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.26 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.34 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.72 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.8796 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual freshwater withdrawals in Ghana?
- Annual freshwater withdrawals in Ghana was 1.45 billion billion cubic meters in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual freshwater withdrawals recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 1.45 billion billion cubic meters in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual freshwater withdrawals recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 300.00 million billion cubic meters in 1970.
- How does Ghana rank for annual freshwater withdrawals?
- Ghana ranks 100th out of 181 countries with data for 2022.
- Is annual freshwater withdrawals rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Annual freshwater withdrawals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual freshwater withdrawals refer to total water withdrawals, not counting evaporation losses from storage basins, measured in cubic meters (m³) per year. Total water withdrawals are the sum of withdrawals for agriculture, industry and municipal (domestic uses). Withdrawals also include water from desalination plants in countries where they are a significant source.