Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in India
India: Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals was 7.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in India, 1975–2022
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
The most recent figure for municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in India is 7.4%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in India peaked at 7.4% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 1975.
That places India 153rd out of 180 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in India, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 3.0% | — |
| 1976 | 3.0% | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 3.1% | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 3.1% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 3.2% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 3.2% | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 3.2% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 3.3% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 3.3% | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 3.3% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 3.4% | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 3.7% | +9.8% |
| 1987 | 4.0% | +8.9% |
| 1988 | 4.3% | +8.1% |
| 1989 | 4.7% | +7.5% |
| 1990 | 5.0% | +7.0% |
| 1991 | 5.2% | +4.5% |
| 1992 | 5.4% | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 5.6% | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 5.8% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 6.0% | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 6.2% | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 6.4% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 6.6% | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 6.7% | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 6.9% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 6.9% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 7.0% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 7.0% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 7.1% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 7.1% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 7.2% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 7.2% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 7.3% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 7.3% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 7.4% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.1% | 3.0% | 3.2% | 5 |
| 1980s | 3.6% | 3.2% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.9% | 5.0% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.1% | 6.9% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.4% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.4% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
More environment data for India
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 11.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 12.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.954 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 18.21 % 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 0.0022 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 3.69 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in India?
- Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in India was 7.4% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 2010.
- What is the lowest municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 1975.
- How does India rank for municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- India ranks 153rd out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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).