Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals was 47.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Arab Emirates, 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
In 2022, municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Arab Emirates stood at 47.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.0% on the previous year and up 18.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Arab Emirates peaked at 53.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 11.0%, in 1980.
That places United Arab Emirates 40th out of 180 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
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 United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11.0% | — |
| 1981 | 12.8% | +16.6% |
| 1982 | 14.4% | +12.1% |
| 1983 | 15.7% | +9.2% |
| 1984 | 16.9% | +7.3% |
| 1985 | 17.9% | +6.0% |
| 1986 | 18.8% | +5.0% |
| 1987 | 19.5% | +4.2% |
| 1988 | 20.3% | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 20.9% | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 21.5% | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 22.0% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 22.5% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 22.9% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 23.3% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 23.7% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 22.2% | -6.5% |
| 1997 | 20.8% | -6.0% |
| 1998 | 19.7% | -5.6% |
| 1999 | 18.6% | -5.3% |
| 2000 | 17.7% | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 16.9% | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 16.1% | -4.4% |
| 2003 | 15.4% | -4.2% |
| 2004 | 15.4% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 15.4% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 19.4% | +25.9% |
| 2007 | 23.3% | +19.7% |
| 2008 | 26.9% | +15.7% |
| 2009 | 30.4% | +13.0% |
| 2010 | 33.8% | +11.0% |
| 2011 | 37.0% | +9.5% |
| 2012 | 40.1% | +8.4% |
| 2013 | 43.1% | +7.4% |
| 2014 | 45.9% | +6.6% |
| 2015 | 48.7% | +6.0% |
| 2016 | 51.3% | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 51.9% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 51.5% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 52.0% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 52.8% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 53.6% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 47.7% | -11.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16.8% | 11.0% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.7% | 18.6% | 23.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.7% | 15.4% | 30.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.5% | 33.8% | 52.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.3% | 47.7% | 53.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More environment data for United Arab Emirates
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -80.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -85.4 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.331 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.5 °C (2025)
- Sawnwood — Export quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export quantity, per capita 0.0089 m3 per person (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, annual growth rate -3.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, per capita 0.0048 1000 USD per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Arab Emirates?
- Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Arab Emirates was 47.7% 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 United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 53.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.0% in 1980.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 40th out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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).