Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Western Asia

Western Asia: Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of was 68.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
68.1%
Change on year
down 0.3%
Rank
5th
of 28 groups
All-time high
74.1%
in 2019
All-time low
55.0%
in 2009
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Western Asia, 2000–2023

0204060802000201120232000: 632001: 622002: 61.42003: 59.92004: 59.92005: 60.42006: 642007: 61.72008: 58.62009: 552010: 57.22011: 57.82012: 61.22013: 61.92014: 61.62015: 61.32016: 65.12017: 66.12018: 64.32019: 74.12020: 71.22021: 69.32022: 68.32023: 68.1

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Western Asia recorded 68.1% for level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Western Asia peaked at 74.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 55.0%, in 2009.

Western Asia ranks 5th of 28 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Western Asia, year by year

Annual values for Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (%) in Western Asia, 2000 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2000 63.0%
2001 62.0% -1.5%
2002 61.4% -1.0%
2003 59.9% -2.6%
2004 59.9% +0.1%
2005 60.4% +0.9%
2006 64.0% +5.9%
2007 61.7% -3.6%
2008 58.6% -5.1%
2009 55.0% -6.1%
2010 57.2% +4.1%
2011 57.8% +0.9%
2012 61.2% +5.9%
2013 61.9% +1.1%
2014 61.6% -0.4%
2015 61.3% -0.5%
2016 65.1% +6.2%
2017 66.1% +1.5%
2018 64.3% -2.7%
2019 74.1% +15.2%
2020 71.2% -3.9%
2021 69.3% -2.6%
2022 68.3% -1.5%
2023 68.1% -0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 60.6% 55.0% 64.0% 10
2010s 63.1% 57.2% 74.1% 10
2020s 69.2% 68.1% 71.2% 4

Countries ranked near Western Asia

  1. 2 United Arab Emirates 1,437.3% compare
  2. 3 Saudi Arabia 974.2% compare
  3. 4 Libya 817.1% compare
  4. 5 Qatar 431.0% compare
  5. 6 Yemen 281.5% compare
  6. 7 Bahrain 152.5% compare
  7. 8 Algeria 144.8% compare

See the full ranking of 224 places →

More environment data for Western Asia

All data for Western Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Western Asia?
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Western Asia was 68.1% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of recorded in Western Asia?
The highest recorded value was 74.1% in 2019.
What is the lowest level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of recorded in Western Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 55.0% in 2009.
How does Western Asia rank for level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of?
Western Asia ranks 5th out of 28 groups with data for 2023.
Is level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of rising or falling in Western Asia?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Western Asia data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Western Asia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/level-of-water-stress-freshwater-withdrawal-as-a-proportion-of-available-freshwater-2/western-asia/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/level-of-water-stress-freshwater-withdrawal-as-a-proportion-of-available-freshwater-2/western-asia/">Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Western Asia</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
224 places, 5,222 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed