Annual freshwater withdrawals in Ireland
Ireland: Annual freshwater withdrawals was 1.67 billion billion cubic meters in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
1.67 billion billion cubic meters
Change on year
up 5.8%
World rank
93rd
of 181 countries
All-time high
1.67 billion billion cubic meters
in 2022
All-time low
730.00 million billion cubic meters
in 2007
Years of data
43
1980–2022
Annual freshwater withdrawals in Ireland, 1980–2022
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
Ireland recorded 1.67 billion billion cubic meters for annual freshwater withdrawals in 2022. That is the highest value across all 43 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.8% on the previous year and up 70.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual freshwater withdrawals in Ireland peaked at 1.67 billion billion cubic meters in 2022 and was at its lowest, 730.00 million billion cubic meters, in 2007.
That places Ireland 93rd out of 181 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Annual freshwater withdrawals in Ireland, year by year
| Year | billion cubic meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.07 billion billion cubic meters | — |
| 1981 | 1.08 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 1.09 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 1.09 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 1.10 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 1.11 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 1.12 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 1.12 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 1.13 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 1.14 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 1.15 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 1.15 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 1.16 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 1.17 billion billion cubic meters | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 1.18 billion billion cubic meters | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 1.14 billion billion cubic meters | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 1.11 billion billion cubic meters | -3.0% |
| 1997 | 1.07 billion billion cubic meters | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 1.04 billion billion cubic meters | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 1.00 billion billion cubic meters | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 970.36 million billion cubic meters | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 936.09 million billion cubic meters | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 901.82 million billion cubic meters | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 867.54 million billion cubic meters | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 833.27 million billion cubic meters | -4.0% |
| 2005 | 799.00 million billion cubic meters | -4.1% |
| 2006 | 764.50 million billion cubic meters | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 730.00 million billion cubic meters | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 743.50 million billion cubic meters | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 757.00 million billion cubic meters | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 831.44 million billion cubic meters | +9.8% |
| 2011 | 905.89 million billion cubic meters | +9.0% |
| 2012 | 980.33 million billion cubic meters | +8.2% |
| 2013 | 1.05 billion billion cubic meters | +7.6% |
| 2014 | 1.13 billion billion cubic meters | +7.1% |
| 2015 | 1.20 billion billion cubic meters | +6.6% |
| 2016 | 1.28 billion billion cubic meters | +6.2% |
| 2017 | 1.35 billion billion cubic meters | +5.8% |
| 2018 | 1.43 billion billion cubic meters | +5.5% |
| 2019 | 1.54 billion billion cubic meters | +7.8% |
| 2020 | 1.54 billion billion cubic meters | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 1.58 billion billion cubic meters | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 1.67 billion billion cubic meters | +5.8% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 1.67 billion billion cubic meters is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.70 billion billion cubic meters, 98% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 1.67 billion billion cubic meters is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.07 billion billion cubic meters, 54% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.10 billion billion cubic meters | 1.07 billion billion cubic meters | 1.14 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.12 billion billion cubic meters | 1.00 billion billion cubic meters | 1.18 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2000s | 830.31 million billion cubic meters | 730.00 million billion cubic meters | 970.36 million billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.17 billion billion cubic meters | 831.44 million billion cubic meters | 1.54 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.60 billion billion cubic meters | 1.54 billion billion cubic meters | 1.67 billion billion cubic meters | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 90 El Salvador 1.94 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 91 Lebanon 1.81 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 92 Switzerland 1.70 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 94 Oman 1.63 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 95 Honduras 1.61 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 96 Zambia 1.57 billion billion cubic meters compare
More environment data for Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.412 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.13 % 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 -0.0083 % 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 Ireland?
- Annual freshwater withdrawals in Ireland was 1.67 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.67 billion billion cubic meters in 2022.
- What is the lowest annual freshwater withdrawals recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 730.00 million billion cubic meters in 2007.
- How does Ireland rank for annual freshwater withdrawals?
- Ireland ranks 93rd out of 181 countries with data for 2022.
- Is annual freshwater withdrawals rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 70.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.