Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Canada
Canada: Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of was 3.72 in 2022. ▼ Falling
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Canada, 1986–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Canada is 3.72, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Canada peaked at 4.64 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 3.67, in 2011.
That places Canada 134th out of 178 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 4.35 | — |
| 1987 | 4.41 | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 4.47 | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 4.52 | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 4.58 | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 4.64 | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 4.58 | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 4.53 | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 4.47 | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 4.41 | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 4.35 | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 4.34 | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 4.33 | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 4.32 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 4.31 | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 4.31 | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 4.3 | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 4.29 | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 4.28 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 4.27 | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 4.26 | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 4.26 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 4.13 | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 4 | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 3.83 | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 3.67 | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 3.75 | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 3.84 | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 3.76 | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 3.68 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 3.71 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 3.73 | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 3.73 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 3.73 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3.73 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 3.72 | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 3.72 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.44 | 4.35 | 4.52 | 4 |
| 1990s | 4.45 | 4.32 | 4.64 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.24 | 4 | 4.31 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.74 | 3.67 | 3.84 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.72 | 3.72 | 3.73 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 131 Russian Federation 4.12 compare
- 132 Luxembourg 3.96 compare
- 133 Suriname 3.95 compare
- 135 Colombia 3.63 compare
- 136 Sweden 3.58 compare
- 137 Brunei Darussalam 3.47 compare
More environment data for Canada
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.76 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.642 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.96 °C (2025)
- Sawnwood — Production, annual growth rate -0.6977 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sawnwood — Production, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Production, per capita 0.8565 m3 per person (2024)
- Sawnwood — Import quantity, annual growth rate -6.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sawnwood — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Canada?
- Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in Canada was 3.72 in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 4.64 in 1991.
- What is the lowest level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.67 in 2011.
- How does Canada rank for level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of?
- Canada ranks 134th out of 178 countries with data for 2022.
- Is level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 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 — 37 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources is the ratio between total freshwater withdrawn by all major sectors and total renewable freshwater resources, after taking into account environmental water requirements. Main sectors, as defined by ISIC standards, include agriculture; forestry and fishing; manufacturing; electricity industry; and services. This indicator is also known as water withdrawal intensity.