Water withdrawals per capita in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Water withdrawals per capita was 491.45 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
491.45 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
59th
of 180 countries
All-time high
2,293 cubic meters per person
in 1987
All-time low
491.45 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
49
1975–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Afghanistan, 1975–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for water withdrawals per capita in Afghanistan is 491.45 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.1% on the previous year and down 23.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Afghanistan peaked at 2,293 cubic meters per person in 1987 and was at its lowest, 491.45 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
Afghanistan ranks 59th of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 837.64 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1976 | 917.64 cubic meters per person | +9.6% |
| 1977 | 994.59 cubic meters per person | +8.4% |
| 1978 | 1,069 cubic meters per person | +7.5% |
| 1979 | 1,160 cubic meters per person | +8.5% |
| 1980 | 1,300 cubic meters per person | +12.1% |
| 1981 | 1,542 cubic meters per person | +18.6% |
| 1982 | 1,791 cubic meters per person | +16.2% |
| 1983 | 1,921 cubic meters per person | +7.2% |
| 1984 | 1,989 cubic meters per person | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 2,060 cubic meters per person | +3.6% |
| 1986 | 2,174 cubic meters per person | +5.5% |
| 1987 | 2,293 cubic meters per person | +5.5% |
| 1988 | 2,220 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 1989 | 2,110 cubic meters per person | -5.0% |
| 1990 | 2,036 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 1,960 cubic meters per person | -3.7% |
| 1992 | 1,767 cubic meters per person | -9.9% |
| 1993 | 1,534 cubic meters per person | -13.1% |
| 1994 | 1,378 cubic meters per person | -10.2% |
| 1995 | 1,282 cubic meters per person | -7.0% |
| 1996 | 1,201 cubic meters per person | -6.3% |
| 1997 | 1,128 cubic meters per person | -6.1% |
| 1998 | 1,058 cubic meters per person | -6.1% |
| 1999 | 1,020 cubic meters per person | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 1,008 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 1,001 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 950.45 cubic meters per person | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 894.59 cubic meters per person | -5.9% |
| 2004 | 863.93 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 834.8 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 801.32 cubic meters per person | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 786.3 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 769.29 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 741.75 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 720.29 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 694.19 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 666.65 cubic meters per person | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 644.25 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 621.27 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 602.18 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 587.11 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 570.85 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 554.47 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 538.17 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 521.46 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 509.32 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 502.06 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 491.45 cubic meters per person | -2.1% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 491.45 cubic meters per person is above the median for low income countries, which is 64.29 cubic meters per person, 7.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 491.45 cubic meters per person is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 315.42 cubic meters per person, 1.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 995.76 cubic meters per person | 837.64 cubic meters per person | 1,160 cubic meters per person | 5 |
| 1980s | 1,940 cubic meters per person | 1,300 cubic meters per person | 2,293 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,436 cubic meters per person | 1,020 cubic meters per person | 2,036 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 865.08 cubic meters per person | 741.75 cubic meters per person | 1,008 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 619.94 cubic meters per person | 538.17 cubic meters per person | 720.29 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 506.07 cubic meters per person | 491.45 cubic meters per person | 521.46 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 56 South Korea 523.34 cubic meters per person compare
- 57 Cape Verde 506.82 cubic meters per person compare
- 58 Finland 499.73 cubic meters per person compare
- 60 Norway 487.27 cubic meters per person compare
- 61 Mauritius 486.03 cubic meters per person compare
- 62 Hungary 476.02 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Afghanistan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -19.95 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -17.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.547 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.96 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.85 % 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 0.7636 % 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 withdrawals per capita in Afghanistan?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Afghanistan was 491.45 cubic meters per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 2,293 cubic meters per person in 1987.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 491.45 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Afghanistan rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Afghanistan ranks 59th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.