Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of was 14.35 in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
14.35
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
77th
of 178 countries
All-time high
22.98
in 1980
All-time low
12.42
in 2014
Years of data
43
1980–2022

Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1980–2022

05101520251980200120221980: 231981: 22.31982: 21.61983: 211984: 20.31985: 19.61986: 19.81987: 201988: 20.11989: 20.31990: 20.51991: 20.51992: 20.51993: 20.61994: 20.61995: 20.61996: 20.71997: 20.91998: 211999: 21.22000: 21.32001: 21.42002: 21.62003: 21.72004: 21.82005: 222006: 22.12007: 14.52008: 14.22009: 14.12010: 14.12011: 13.12012: 13.72013: 132014: 12.42015: 13.92016: 14.42017: 14.42018: 14.42019: 14.42020: 14.42021: 14.42022: 14.4

Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Analysis

In 2022, level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 14.35.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 22.98 in 1980 and was at its lowest, 12.42, in 2014.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 77th of 178 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.

Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1980 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1980 22.98
1981 22.31 -2.9%
1982 21.63 -3.0%
1983 20.96 -3.1%
1984 20.28 -3.2%
1985 19.61 -3.3%
1986 19.79 +0.9%
1987 19.96 +0.9%
1988 20.14 +0.9%
1989 20.32 +0.9%
1990 20.49 +0.9%
1991 20.52 +0.1%
1992 20.54 +0.1%
1993 20.57 +0.1%
1994 20.59 +0.1%
1995 20.61 +0.1%
1996 20.75 +0.7%
1997 20.88 +0.6%
1998 21.02 +0.6%
1999 21.15 +0.6%
2000 21.29 +0.6%
2001 21.42 +0.6%
2002 21.55 +0.6%
2003 21.69 +0.6%
2004 21.82 +0.6%
2005 21.96 +0.6%
2006 22.09 +0.6%
2007 14.51 -34.3%
2008 14.23 -1.9%
2009 14.12 -0.8%
2010 14.09 -0.2%
2011 13.1 -7.0%
2012 13.67 +4.3%
2013 13.05 -4.6%
2014 12.42 -4.8%
2015 13.91 +12.0%
2016 14.35 +3.2%
2017 14.35 +0.0%
2018 14.35 +0.0%
2019 14.35 +0.0%
2020 14.35 +0.0%
2021 14.35 +0.0%
2022 14.35 +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 20.8 19.61 22.98 10
1990s 20.71 20.49 21.15 10
2000s 19.47 14.12 22.09 10
2010s 13.77 12.42 14.35 10
2020s 14.35 14.35 14.35 3

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 74 Netherlands 16.66 compare
  2. 75 Senegal 16.28 compare
  3. 76 Maldives 15.67 compare
  4. 78 Saint Lucia 14.3 compare
  5. 79 Haiti 13.38 compare
  6. 80 Mauritania 13.25 compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 14.35 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 22.98 in 1980.
What is the lowest level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 12.42 in 2014.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 77th out of 178 countries with data for 2022.
Is level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.

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Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/level-of-water-stress-freshwater-withdrawal-as-a-proportion-of-available-freshwater/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
Source
AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
178 places, 6,200 data points, 1962–2022
Last refreshed

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.