Water productivity, GDP per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Water productivity, GDP per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal was 186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal
Change on year
up 9.2%
World rank
17th
of 179 countries
All-time high
186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal
in 2022
All-time low
61.48 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal
in 1988
Years of data
43
1980–2022
Water productivity, GDP per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in United Arab Emirates, 1980–2022
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization (AQUASTAT), World Bank, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded 186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal for water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in 2022. That is the highest value across all 43 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.2% on the previous year and up 50.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in United Arab Emirates peaked at 186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal in 2022 and was at its lowest, 61.48 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal, in 1988.
That places United Arab Emirates 17th out of 179 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Water productivity, GDP per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 132.12 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | — |
| 1981 | 126.92 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -3.9% |
| 1982 | 109.41 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -13.8% |
| 1983 | 96.86 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -11.5% |
| 1984 | 94.12 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -2.8% |
| 1985 | 85.12 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -9.6% |
| 1986 | 68.18 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -19.9% |
| 1987 | 66.6 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -2.3% |
| 1988 | 61.48 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -7.7% |
| 1989 | 65.64 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +6.8% |
| 1990 | 81.82 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +24.7% |
| 1991 | 80.64 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 81.47 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 80.69 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 84.41 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.6% |
| 1995 | 88.16 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.5% |
| 1996 | 85.39 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 85.17 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 79.24 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -7.0% |
| 1999 | 76.04 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -4.0% |
| 2000 | 85.24 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +12.1% |
| 2001 | 88.01 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 91.83 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 101.81 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +10.9% |
| 2004 | 98.36 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 92.24 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -6.2% |
| 2006 | 102.24 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +10.8% |
| 2007 | 106.48 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.1% |
| 2008 | 110.91 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 106.09 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 108.82 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 117.27 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +7.8% |
| 2012 | 123.96 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +5.7% |
| 2013 | 131.34 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +6.0% |
| 2014 | 138.79 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 150.11 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +8.2% |
| 2016 | 160.22 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +6.7% |
| 2017 | 163.31 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 162.11 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 168.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 157.45 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -6.3% |
| 2021 | 170.42 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +8.2% |
| 2022 | 186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +9.2% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal is above the median for high income countries, which is 108.49 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal, 1.7× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 20.08 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal, 9.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 90.65 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 61.48 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 132.12 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 10 |
| 1990s | 82.3 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 76.04 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 88.16 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 10 |
| 2000s | 98.32 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 85.24 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 110.91 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 10 |
| 2010s | 142.4 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 108.82 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 168.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 10 |
| 2020s | 171.31 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 157.45 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
- 14 Bahrain 248.06 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
- 15 Sweden 229.35 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
- 16 Congo 221.2 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
- 18 Slovakia 182.77 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
- 19 Latvia 179.08 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
- 20 Lithuania 177.93 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
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)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 1.89 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in United Arab Emirates?
- Water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in United Arab Emirates was 186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal in 2022, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (AQUASTAT), World Bank, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 186.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal in 2022.
- What is the lowest water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.48 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal in 1988.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 17th out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 50.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization (AQUASTAT), World Bank, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Water productivity, GDP per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Water productivity is calculated as total gross domestic product (GDP), measured in constant 2015 US$ divided by annual total water withdrawal.