Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Sweden
Sweden: Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals was 61.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Sweden, 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 Sweden stood at 61.3%.
The figure is up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Sweden peaked at 72.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 51.0%, in 2020.
That places Sweden 16th out of 179 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
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 Sweden, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 72.7% | — |
| 1971 | 72.5% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 72.2% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 72.0% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 71.8% | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 71.6% | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 71.7% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 71.8% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 71.9% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 72.0% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 72.1% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 72.1% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 72.1% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 72.1% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 72.1% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 72.1% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 69.1% | -4.2% |
| 1987 | 66.0% | -4.4% |
| 1988 | 63.0% | -4.6% |
| 1989 | 60.0% | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 60.1% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 60.0% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 60.0% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 59.2% | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 58.5% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 57.7% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 56.7% | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 55.7% | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 55.7% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 55.8% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 55.9% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 56.2% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 56.2% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 56.5% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 56.9% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 57.9% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 57.9% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 57.9% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 58.1% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 58.3% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 58.5% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 58.1% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 57.8% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 57.4% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 57.0% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 56.6% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 57.5% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 58.3% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 59.3% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 60.2% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 51.0% | -15.3% |
| 2021 | 61.3% | +20.1% |
| 2022 | 61.3% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 72.0% | 71.6% | 72.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 69.1% | 60.0% | 72.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.9% | 55.7% | 60.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.2% | 55.9% | 58.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.1% | 56.6% | 60.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.8% | 51.0% | 61.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More environment data for Sweden
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- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.852 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.72 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 13.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
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- 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 Sweden?
- Industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals in Sweden was 61.3% 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 72.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.0% in 2020.
- How does Sweden rank for industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Sweden ranks 16th out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is industrial water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sweden 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).