Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Italy
Italy: Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals was 22.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Italy, 1970–2022
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
In 2022, industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Italy stood at 22.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Italy peaked at 35.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 20.5%, in 2008.
That places Italy 49th 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 53 years of available data.
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Italy, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 21.6% | — |
| 1971 | 22.8% | +5.5% |
| 1972 | 24.0% | +5.1% |
| 1973 | 25.1% | +4.7% |
| 1974 | 26.2% | +4.4% |
| 1975 | 27.3% | +4.1% |
| 1976 | 28.4% | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 29.4% | +3.6% |
| 1978 | 30.4% | +3.4% |
| 1979 | 31.4% | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 32.3% | +3.0% |
| 1981 | 32.1% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 32.0% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 31.8% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 31.6% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 31.4% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 31.2% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 31.0% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 30.8% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 30.5% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 30.3% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 30.9% | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 31.4% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 31.9% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 32.4% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 32.9% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 33.4% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 33.9% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 34.3% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 35.2% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 35.9% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 35.8% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 35.7% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 35.5% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 35.4% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 35.2% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 35.0% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 34.7% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 20.5% | -41.0% |
| 2009 | 30.6% | +49.5% |
| 2010 | 28.6% | -6.7% |
| 2011 | 26.5% | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 24.5% | -7.6% |
| 2013 | 22.5% | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 22.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 22.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 22.6% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 22.6% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 22.7% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 22.7% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 22.7% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 22.8% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 22.7% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26.7% | 21.6% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 31.5% | 30.5% | 32.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.7% | 30.3% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.4% | 20.5% | 35.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.8% | 22.5% | 28.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.7% | 22.7% | 22.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 46 New Zealand 24.0% compare
- 47 Kazakhstan 23.9% compare
- 48 South Africa 23.2% compare
- 50 Suriname 22.0% compare
- 51 Antigua and Barbuda 21.7% compare
- 52 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 21.5% compare
More environment data for Italy
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.04 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.47 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.324 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.18 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 5.49 % 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 0.0813 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate -1.04 % 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 Italy?
- Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Italy was 22.7% 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 35.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.5% in 2008.
- How does Italy rank for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Italy ranks 49th out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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).