Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Japan
Japan: Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals was 17.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Japan, 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 Japan is 17.0%, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Japan peaked at 19.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15.5%, in 1980.
Japan ranks 100th 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 Japan, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 15.5% | — |
| 1981 | 15.8% | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 16.1% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 16.3% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 16.6% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 16.8% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 17.1% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 17.3% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 17.6% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 17.8% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 18.1% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 18.3% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 18.6% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 18.5% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 18.5% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 18.4% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 18.5% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 18.6% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 18.8% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 19.0% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 19.2% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 19.2% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 19.2% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 19.2% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 19.1% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 19.1% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 19.0% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 18.9% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 18.9% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 18.9% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 18.9% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 18.8% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 18.7% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 18.7% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 18.6% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 18.5% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 18.4% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 18.4% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 19.0% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 18.9% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 16.9% | -10.3% |
| 2021 | 17.0% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 17.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16.7% | 15.5% | 17.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.5% | 18.1% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.1% | 18.9% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.7% | 18.4% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.0% | 16.9% | 17.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More environment data for Japan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.8 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.358 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.86 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate -2.84 % 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 0.0076 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate -7.4 % 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 Japan?
- Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Japan was 17.0% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 19.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.5% in 1980.
- How does Japan rank for municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Japan ranks 100th out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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).