Industrial water withdrawal in Pakistan
Pakistan: Industrial water withdrawal was 1.40 billion cubic meters in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.40 billion cubic meters
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
41st
of 180 countries
All-time high
3.47 billion cubic meters
in 2000
All-time low
1.40 billion cubic meters
in 2008
Years of data
49
1975–2023
Industrial water withdrawal in Pakistan, 1975–2023
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 Pakistan stood at 1.40 billion cubic meters. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, industrial water withdrawal in Pakistan peaked at 3.47 billion cubic meters in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.40 billion cubic meters, in 2008.
That places Pakistan 41st out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Industrial water withdrawal in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | cubic meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 1.53 billion cubic meters | — |
| 1976 | 1.59 billion cubic meters | +3.9% |
| 1977 | 1.65 billion cubic meters | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 1.72 billion cubic meters | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 1.78 billion cubic meters | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 1.84 billion cubic meters | +3.4% |
| 1981 | 1.90 billion cubic meters | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 1.96 billion cubic meters | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 2.02 billion cubic meters | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 2.08 billion cubic meters | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 2.14 billion cubic meters | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 2.20 billion cubic meters | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 2.26 billion cubic meters | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 2.32 billion cubic meters | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 2.38 billion cubic meters | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 2.44 billion cubic meters | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 2.50 billion cubic meters | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 2.61 billion cubic meters | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 2.72 billion cubic meters | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 2.82 billion cubic meters | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 2.93 billion cubic meters | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 3.04 billion cubic meters | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 3.15 billion cubic meters | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 3.25 billion cubic meters | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 3.36 billion cubic meters | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 3.47 billion cubic meters | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 3.21 billion cubic meters | -7.5% |
| 2002 | 2.95 billion cubic meters | -8.1% |
| 2003 | 2.69 billion cubic meters | -8.8% |
| 2004 | 2.44 billion cubic meters | -9.6% |
| 2005 | 2.18 billion cubic meters | -10.6% |
| 2006 | 1.92 billion cubic meters | -11.9% |
| 2007 | 1.66 billion cubic meters | -13.5% |
| 2008 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | -15.6% |
| 2009 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.40 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 1.40 billion cubic meters is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 80.80 million cubic meters, 17.3× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 1.40 billion cubic meters is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 169.50 million cubic meters, 8.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.65 billion cubic meters | 1.53 billion cubic meters | 1.78 billion cubic meters | 5 |
| 1980s | 2.11 billion cubic meters | 1.84 billion cubic meters | 2.38 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.88 billion cubic meters | 2.44 billion cubic meters | 3.36 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.33 billion cubic meters | 1.40 billion cubic meters | 3.47 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.40 billion cubic meters | 1.40 billion cubic meters | 1.40 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.40 billion cubic meters | 1.40 billion cubic meters | 1.40 billion cubic meters | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More environment data for Pakistan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -10.53 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.373 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.72 % 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) -1.74 % 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 Pakistan?
- Industrial water withdrawal in Pakistan was 1.40 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 3.47 billion cubic meters in 2000.
- What is the lowest industrial water withdrawal recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.40 billion cubic meters in 2008.
- How does Pakistan rank for industrial water withdrawal?
- Pakistan ranks 41st out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is industrial water withdrawal rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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 — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Water withdrawn each year by self-supplied industries.