Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in China
China: Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals was 20.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in China, 1980–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
China recorded 20.1% for municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in 2022. That is the highest value across all 43 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 66.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in China peaked at 20.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1980.
China ranks 91st of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in China, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.5% | — |
| 1981 | 2.7% | +77.4% |
| 1982 | 3.8% | +42.0% |
| 1983 | 4.9% | +28.5% |
| 1984 | 6.0% | +21.4% |
| 1985 | 6.2% | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 6.3% | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 6.5% | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 6.7% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 6.8% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 7.0% | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 6.2% | -10.9% |
| 1992 | 5.5% | -11.8% |
| 1993 | 4.8% | -13.0% |
| 1994 | 5.6% | +17.6% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | +14.8% |
| 1996 | 7.3% | +12.7% |
| 1997 | 8.1% | +11.1% |
| 1998 | 8.9% | +9.9% |
| 1999 | 9.7% | +8.9% |
| 2000 | 10.5% | +8.0% |
| 2001 | 10.8% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 11.2% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 11.5% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 11.8% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 12.2% | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 12.2% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 12.4% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 12.6% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 12.8% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 13.0% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 13.2% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 12.1% | -8.3% |
| 2013 | 12.3% | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 12.8% | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 13.3% | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 16.0% | +20.2% |
| 2017 | 16.5% | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 17.6% | +6.6% |
| 2019 | 18.6% | +5.6% |
| 2020 | 20.1% | +8.1% |
| 2021 | 20.1% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 20.1% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.2% | 1.5% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.0% | 4.8% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.8% | 10.5% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.5% | 12.1% | 18.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.1% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate -6.07 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.0086 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate -3.07 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per capita 0.0052 1000 USD per person (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, annual growth rate 1.38 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in China?
- Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in China was 20.1% in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 20.1% in 2020.
- What is the lowest municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1980.
- How does China rank for municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- China ranks 91st out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 66.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Municipal (domestic) water withdrawals as a percentage of total water withdrawals (which is the sum of water used for agriculture, industry, and municipal purposes).