Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Belgium
Belgium: Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals was 84.1% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Belgium, 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 % of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 84.1% for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.6% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Belgium peaked at 97.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 78.9%, in 2019.
Belgium ranks 4th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 85.0% | — |
| 1981 | 85.4% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 85.7% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 86.1% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 86.5% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 86.9% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 87.3% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 87.7% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 88.1% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 88.5% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 88.9% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 89.3% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 89.7% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 90.2% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 90.6% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 91.0% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 89.8% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 88.4% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 88.8% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 89.2% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 89.6% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 89.1% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 88.5% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 88.3% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 88.1% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 87.9% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 87.8% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 87.7% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 87.9% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 87.6% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 86.7% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 85.8% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 84.8% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 83.4% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 82.4% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 80.4% | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 80.5% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 79.0% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 79.7% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 78.9% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 89.4% | +13.3% |
| 2021 | 97.3% | +8.9% |
| 2022 | 84.1% | -13.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 86.7% | 85.0% | 88.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 89.6% | 88.4% | 91.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 88.2% | 87.6% | 89.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.2% | 78.9% | 86.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 90.3% | 84.1% | 97.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More environment data for Belgium
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.574 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.19 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 13.54 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.2521 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 5.21 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Belgium?
- Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Belgium was 84.1% 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 industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 97.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 78.9% in 2019.
- How does Belgium rank for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Belgium ranks 4th out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Belgium 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 Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Industrial water withdrawals as a percentage of total water withdrawals (which is the sum of water used for agriculture, industry, and municipal purposes).