Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Ireland
Ireland: Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals was 66.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Ireland, 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
The most recent figure for municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Ireland is 66.1%, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Ireland peaked at 100.0% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 38.6%, in 1980.
Ireland ranks 16th of 180 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 38.6% | — |
| 1981 | 38.7% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 38.8% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 38.9% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 39.0% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 39.1% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 39.2% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 39.3% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 39.4% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 39.5% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 39.6% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 39.7% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 39.8% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 39.9% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 40.0% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 42.2% | +5.5% |
| 1996 | 44.5% | +5.5% |
| 1997 | 46.9% | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 49.5% | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 52.2% | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 55.1% | +5.5% |
| 2001 | 58.2% | +5.5% |
| 2002 | 61.4% | +5.6% |
| 2003 | 67.0% | +9.1% |
| 2004 | 72.2% | +7.8% |
| 2005 | 100.0% | +38.5% |
| 2006 | 79.2% | -20.8% |
| 2007 | 93.0% | +17.5% |
| 2008 | 78.4% | -15.7% |
| 2009 | 89.8% | +14.6% |
| 2010 | 71.9% | -20.0% |
| 2011 | 68.6% | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 65.5% | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 63.7% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 62.1% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 58.8% | -5.3% |
| 2016 | 57.1% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 61.2% | +7.3% |
| 2018 | 64.3% | +4.9% |
| 2019 | 64.1% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 63.9% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 64.0% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 66.1% | +3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 39.1% | 38.6% | 39.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.4% | 39.6% | 52.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 75.4% | 55.1% | 100.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.7% | 57.1% | 71.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.7% | 63.9% | 66.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More environment data for Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.412 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Plywood and LVL — Import quantity, annual growth rate 24.32 % change on previous year (2024)
- Plywood and LVL — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Plywood and LVL — Import quantity, per capita 0.0104 m3 per person (2024)
- Plywood and LVL — Import value, annual growth rate 17.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Plywood and LVL — 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 Ireland?
- Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Ireland was 66.1% 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2005.
- What is the lowest municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.6% in 1980.
- How does Ireland rank for municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Ireland ranks 16th out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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).