Water Use Efficiency in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Water Use Efficiency was 28.24 USD/m3 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
28.24 USD/m3
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
74th
of 183 countries
All-time high
29.22 USD/m3
in 2017
All-time low
16.06 USD/m3
in 2002
Years of data
24
2000–2023
Water Use Efficiency in Saudi Arabia, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in USD/m3.
Analysis
In 2023, water use efficiency in Saudi Arabia stood at 28.24 USD/m3.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water use efficiency in Saudi Arabia peaked at 29.22 USD/m3 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 16.06 USD/m3, in 2002.
That places Saudi Arabia 74th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Water Use Efficiency in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | USD/m3 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.68 USD/m3 | — |
| 2001 | 16.48 USD/m3 | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 16.06 USD/m3 | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 17.17 USD/m3 | +6.9% |
| 2004 | 18.33 USD/m3 | +6.8% |
| 2005 | 18.95 USD/m3 | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 19.11 USD/m3 | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 19.93 USD/m3 | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 21.6 USD/m3 | +8.4% |
| 2009 | 21.81 USD/m3 | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 23.41 USD/m3 | +7.3% |
| 2011 | 26.57 USD/m3 | +13.5% |
| 2012 | 28.6 USD/m3 | +7.6% |
| 2013 | 27.51 USD/m3 | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 27.14 USD/m3 | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 26.68 USD/m3 | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 28.2 USD/m3 | +5.7% |
| 2017 | 29.22 USD/m3 | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 26.6 USD/m3 | -9.0% |
| 2019 | 26.82 USD/m3 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 25.5 USD/m3 | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 26.3 USD/m3 | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 28.7 USD/m3 | +9.1% |
| 2023 | 28.24 USD/m3 | -1.6% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 28.24 USD/m3 is below the median for high income countries, which is 71.58 USD/m3, 39% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 28.24 USD/m3 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 18.25 USD/m3, 1.5× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.61 USD/m3 | 16.06 USD/m3 | 21.81 USD/m3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.07 USD/m3 | 23.41 USD/m3 | 29.22 USD/m3 | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.18 USD/m3 | 25.5 USD/m3 | 28.7 USD/m3 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More environment data for Saudi Arabia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -52.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -27.86 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.424 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.53 % 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 9.62 % 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 use efficiency in Saudi Arabia?
- Water use efficiency in Saudi Arabia was 28.24 USD/m3 in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest water use efficiency recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 29.22 USD/m3 in 2017.
- What is the lowest water use efficiency recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.06 USD/m3 in 2002.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for water use efficiency?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 74th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water use efficiency rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Water Use Efficiency (United States dollars per cubic meter). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).