Annual freshwater withdrawals in Libya
Libya: Annual freshwater withdrawals was 5.72 billion billion cubic meters in 2022. ▲ Rising
Annual freshwater withdrawals in Libya, 1975–2022
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
Libya recorded 5.72 billion billion cubic meters for annual freshwater withdrawals in 2022. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual freshwater withdrawals in Libya peaked at 5.72 billion billion cubic meters in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1.20 billion billion cubic meters, in 1975.
Libya ranks 62nd of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.31 billion billion cubic meters | 1.20 billion billion cubic meters | 1.42 billion billion cubic meters | 5 |
| 1980s | 2.95 billion billion cubic meters | 1.47 billion billion cubic meters | 4.43 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.57 billion billion cubic meters | 4.35 billion billion cubic meters | 4.76 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.83 billion billion cubic meters | 4.31 billion billion cubic meters | 5.36 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.68 billion billion cubic meters | 5.48 billion billion cubic meters | 5.72 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.72 billion billion cubic meters | 5.72 billion billion cubic meters | 5.72 billion billion cubic meters | 3 |
Countries ranked near Libya
- 59 Cuba 6.96 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 60 Malaysia 6.71 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 61 Portugal 6.13 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 63 Bulgaria 5.44 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 64 Mali 5.19 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 65 Tanzania 5.18 billion billion cubic meters compare
More environment data for Libya
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 98.17 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 13.3 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 1.92 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.0897 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 22.1 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0021 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 27.42 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0353 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.2146 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 3.06 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual freshwater withdrawals in Libya?
- Annual freshwater withdrawals in Libya was 5.72 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 Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 5.72 billion billion cubic meters in 2012.
- What is the lowest annual freshwater withdrawals recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.20 billion billion cubic meters in 1975.
- How does Libya rank for annual freshwater withdrawals?
- Libya ranks 62nd out of 181 countries with data for 2022.
- Is annual freshwater withdrawals rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Libya 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 — 48 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 metres (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.