Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Japan
Japan: Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals was 16.4% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Japan, 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
The most recent figure for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Japan is 16.4%, measured in 2022.
The figure is up 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Japan peaked at 18.7% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 13.1%, in 2019.
Japan ranks 63rd of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 Japan, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 18.7% | — |
| 1981 | 18.6% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 18.5% | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 18.3% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 18.2% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 18.1% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 18.0% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 17.8% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 17.7% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 17.6% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 17.5% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 17.4% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 17.3% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 16.8% | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 16.3% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 15.8% | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 16.0% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 16.3% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 16.7% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 17.1% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 17.5% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 16.1% | -8.1% |
| 2002 | 14.6% | -9.4% |
| 2003 | 14.7% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 14.9% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 15.1% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 15.2% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 15.4% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 14.8% | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 14.3% | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 14.2% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 14.2% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 14.2% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 14.1% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 14.1% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 14.1% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 14.1% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 13.9% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 13.4% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 13.1% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 16.3% | +24.2% |
| 2021 | 16.4% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 16.4% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 18.2% | 17.6% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.7% | 15.8% | 17.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.3% | 14.3% | 17.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.9% | 13.1% | 14.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.3% | 16.3% | 16.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 60 Latvia 17.6% compare
- 61 Central African Republic 16.6% compare
- 62 Republic of Korea 16.4% compare
- 64 Tajikistan 16.3% compare
- 65 Nigeria 15.8% compare
- 66 Equatorial Guinea 15.2% compare
More environment data for Japan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.8 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.358 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.86 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate -2.84 % 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 0.0076 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate -7.4 % 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 Japan?
- Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Japan was 16.4% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 18.7% in 1980.
- What is the lowest industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.1% in 2019.
- How does Japan rank for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Japan ranks 63rd out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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).