Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in India
India: Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals was 2.2% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in India, 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 % of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
The most recent figure for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in India is 2.2%, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in India peaked at 4.0% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2000.
That places India 133rd out of 179 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in India, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 4.0% | — |
| 1976 | 3.7% | -6.3% |
| 1977 | 3.5% | -6.3% |
| 1978 | 3.3% | -6.4% |
| 1979 | 3.1% | -6.4% |
| 1980 | 2.9% | -6.5% |
| 1981 | 2.7% | -6.6% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | -6.7% |
| 1983 | 2.3% | -6.9% |
| 1984 | 2.2% | -7.0% |
| 1985 | 2.0% | -7.2% |
| 1986 | 2.2% | +9.9% |
| 1987 | 2.4% | +8.9% |
| 1988 | 2.6% | +8.2% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | +7.6% |
| 1990 | 3.0% | +7.0% |
| 1991 | 2.8% | -5.4% |
| 1992 | 2.7% | -5.5% |
| 1993 | 2.5% | -5.6% |
| 1994 | 2.4% | -5.7% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | -5.8% |
| 1996 | 2.1% | -5.9% |
| 1997 | 2.0% | -6.0% |
| 1998 | 1.9% | -6.1% |
| 1999 | 1.8% | -6.3% |
| 2000 | 1.6% | -6.5% |
| 2001 | 1.7% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 1.8% | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 2.0% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 2.1% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 2.2% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.5% | 3.1% | 4.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 2.0% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
- 130 Burkina Faso 2.7% compare
- 131 Mauritania 2.4% compare
- 132 Lao People's Democratic Republic 2.3% compare
- 134 Bangladesh 2.1% compare
- 135 Cape Verde 2.1% compare
- 136 Morocco 2.0% compare
More environment data for India
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 11.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 12.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.954 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 18.21 % 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 0.0022 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 3.69 % 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 India?
- Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in India was 2.2% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 1975.
- What is the lowest industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2000.
- How does India rank for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- India ranks 133rd out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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).