Industrial water withdrawal in France
France: Industrial water withdrawal was 15.29 billion cubic meters in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
15.29 billion cubic meters
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
6th
of 180 countries
All-time high
28.32 billion cubic meters
in 1992
All-time low
15.29 billion cubic meters
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Industrial water withdrawal in France, 1985–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters.
Analysis
In 2023, industrial water withdrawal in France stood at 15.29 billion cubic meters. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 19.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, industrial water withdrawal in France peaked at 28.32 billion cubic meters in 1992 and was at its lowest, 15.29 billion cubic meters, in 2023.
That places France 6th out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Industrial water withdrawal in France, year by year
| Year | cubic meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 24.51 billion cubic meters | — |
| 1986 | 25.05 billion cubic meters | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 25.60 billion cubic meters | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 26.14 billion cubic meters | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 26.69 billion cubic meters | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 27.23 billion cubic meters | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 27.78 billion cubic meters | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 28.32 billion cubic meters | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 26.88 billion cubic meters | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 25.43 billion cubic meters | -5.4% |
| 1995 | 23.99 billion cubic meters | -5.7% |
| 1996 | 22.54 billion cubic meters | -6.0% |
| 1997 | 21.10 billion cubic meters | -6.4% |
| 1998 | 21.39 billion cubic meters | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 21.68 billion cubic meters | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 21.97 billion cubic meters | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 22.04 billion cubic meters | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 22.11 billion cubic meters | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 22.49 billion cubic meters | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 22.88 billion cubic meters | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 23.26 billion cubic meters | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 22.52 billion cubic meters | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 21.79 billion cubic meters | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 20.80 billion cubic meters | -4.5% |
| 2009 | 19.82 billion cubic meters | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 19.90 billion cubic meters | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 21.62 billion cubic meters | +8.6% |
| 2012 | 19.77 billion cubic meters | -8.6% |
| 2013 | 18.90 billion cubic meters | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 19.90 billion cubic meters | +5.3% |
| 2015 | 19.69 billion cubic meters | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 18.15 billion cubic meters | -7.8% |
| 2017 | 18.61 billion cubic meters | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 18.62 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 17.72 billion cubic meters | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 15.87 billion cubic meters | -10.4% |
| 2021 | 16.66 billion cubic meters | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 15.40 billion cubic meters | -7.5% |
| 2023 | 15.29 billion cubic meters | -0.7% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 15.29 billion cubic meters is above the median for high income countries, which is 668.45 million cubic meters, 22.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- France's 15.29 billion cubic meters is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 806.76 million cubic meters, 19.0× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 25.60 billion cubic meters | 24.51 billion cubic meters | 26.69 billion cubic meters | 5 |
| 1990s | 24.63 billion cubic meters | 21.10 billion cubic meters | 28.32 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.97 billion cubic meters | 19.82 billion cubic meters | 23.26 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.29 billion cubic meters | 17.72 billion cubic meters | 21.62 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.81 billion cubic meters | 15.29 billion cubic meters | 16.66 billion cubic meters | 4 |
Countries ranked near France
More environment data for France
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.427 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.31 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.6751 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) -5.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is industrial water withdrawal in France?
- Industrial water withdrawal in France was 15.29 billion cubic meters in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest industrial water withdrawal recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 28.32 billion cubic meters in 1992.
- What is the lowest industrial water withdrawal recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.29 billion cubic meters in 2023.
- How does France rank for industrial water withdrawal?
- France ranks 6th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is industrial water withdrawal rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Industrial water withdrawal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Water withdrawn each year by self-supplied industries.