Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Ireland
Ireland: Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals was 31.8% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Industrial water as a share of total water 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 % of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 31.8% for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.8% on the previous year and up 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Ireland peaked at 49.3% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 7.0%, in 2007.
That places Ireland 37th out of 179 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 49.3% | — |
| 1981 | 48.9% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 48.6% | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 48.2% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 47.9% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 47.6% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 47.2% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 46.9% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 46.6% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 46.3% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 46.0% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 45.7% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 45.4% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 45.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 44.8% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 42.7% | -4.6% |
| 1996 | 40.6% | -5.1% |
| 1997 | 38.3% | -5.6% |
| 1998 | 35.9% | -6.3% |
| 1999 | 33.3% | -7.1% |
| 2000 | 30.6% | -8.1% |
| 2001 | 27.8% | -9.3% |
| 2002 | 24.8% | -10.9% |
| 2003 | 20.2% | -18.3% |
| 2004 | 16.0% | -21.0% |
| 2005 | 15.5% | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 9.4% | -39.6% |
| 2007 | 7.0% | -25.6% |
| 2008 | 10.7% | +53.4% |
| 2009 | 17.8% | +66.2% |
| 2010 | 19.2% | +7.6% |
| 2011 | 23.2% | +21.3% |
| 2012 | 27.2% | +16.9% |
| 2013 | 29.9% | +10.1% |
| 2014 | 32.4% | +8.3% |
| 2015 | 36.2% | +11.9% |
| 2016 | 38.7% | +6.9% |
| 2017 | 35.7% | -7.8% |
| 2018 | 33.5% | -6.1% |
| 2019 | 33.6% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 33.5% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 33.4% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 31.8% | -4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 47.8% | 46.3% | 49.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.8% | 33.3% | 46.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.0% | 7.0% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.0% | 19.2% | 38.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.9% | 31.8% | 33.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
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)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 13.58 % 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 0.0688 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate -4.57 % 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 Ireland?
- Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Ireland was 31.8% 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 49.3% in 1980.
- What is the lowest industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.0% in 2007.
- How does Ireland rank for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Ireland ranks 37th out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 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).