Annual freshwater withdrawals in Maldives
Maldives: Annual freshwater withdrawals was 4.70 million billion cubic meters in 2022. ▲ Rising
Annual freshwater withdrawals in Maldives, 1987–2022
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
In 2022, annual freshwater withdrawals in Maldives stood at 4.70 million billion cubic meters.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual freshwater withdrawals in Maldives peaked at 5.30 million billion cubic meters in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.01 million billion cubic meters, in 2010.
Maldives ranks 180th of 181 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Annual freshwater withdrawals in Maldives, year by year
| Year | billion cubic meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 3.40 million billion cubic meters | — |
| 1988 | 3.52 million billion cubic meters | +3.5% |
| 1989 | 3.52 million billion cubic meters | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 3.59 million billion cubic meters | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 3.48 million billion cubic meters | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 3.71 million billion cubic meters | +6.7% |
| 1993 | 3.77 million billion cubic meters | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 3.83 million billion cubic meters | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 4.60 million billion cubic meters | +19.9% |
| 1996 | 4.76 million billion cubic meters | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 4.93 million billion cubic meters | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 5.10 million billion cubic meters | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 5.27 million billion cubic meters | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 5.30 million billion cubic meters | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 5.14 million billion cubic meters | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 5.08 million billion cubic meters | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 5.01 million billion cubic meters | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 4.95 million billion cubic meters | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 4.34 million billion cubic meters | -12.3% |
| 2006 | 4.46 million billion cubic meters | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 4.64 million billion cubic meters | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 2.86 million billion cubic meters | -39.2% |
| 2010 | 1.01 million billion cubic meters | -64.5% |
| 2011 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +363.4% |
| 2012 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
Maldives compared with similar countries
- Maldives's 4.70 million billion cubic meters is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.32 billion billion cubic meters, 0% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Maldives's 4.70 million billion cubic meters is below the median for South Asia, which is 11.22 billion billion cubic meters, 0% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual freshwater withdrawals in Maldives changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +363.4% | 1.01 million billion cubic meters | 4.70 million billion cubic meters |
| 2010 | -64.5% | 2.86 million billion cubic meters | 1.01 million billion cubic meters |
| 2009 | -39.2% | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | 2.86 million billion cubic meters |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.48 million billion cubic meters | 3.40 million billion cubic meters | 3.52 million billion cubic meters | 3 |
| 1990s | 4.30 million billion cubic meters | 3.48 million billion cubic meters | 5.27 million billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.65 million billion cubic meters | 2.86 million billion cubic meters | 5.30 million billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.33 million billion cubic meters | 1.01 million billion cubic meters | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | 4.70 million billion cubic meters | 3 |
Countries ranked near Maldives
- 177 Comoros 10.00 million billion cubic meters compare
- 178 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7.90 million billion cubic meters compare
- 179 Monaco 5.00 million billion cubic meters compare
- 181 Antigua and Barbuda 4.40 million billion cubic meters compare
More environment data for Maldives
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.252 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.911 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.75 % 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 -100 % change on previous year (1991)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 4.35 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual freshwater withdrawals in Maldives?
- Annual freshwater withdrawals in Maldives was 4.70 million 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 Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 5.30 million billion cubic meters in 2000.
- What is the lowest annual freshwater withdrawals recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.01 million billion cubic meters in 2010.
- How does Maldives rank for annual freshwater withdrawals?
- Maldives ranks 180th out of 181 countries with data for 2022.
- Is annual freshwater withdrawals rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Maldives 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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CSV · JSON — 36 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.