Water withdrawals per capita in Australia
Australia: Water withdrawals per capita was 633.62 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
633.62 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 4.1%
World rank
44th
of 180 countries
All-time high
1,212 cubic meters per person
in 1996
All-time low
524.79 cubic meters per person
in 2020
Years of data
31
1993–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Australia, 1993–2023
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 Australia is 633.62 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.1% on the previous year and down 25.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Australia peaked at 1,212 cubic meters per person in 1996 and was at its lowest, 524.79 cubic meters per person, in 2020.
Australia ranks 44th of 180 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Australia, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 1,048 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1994 | 1,181 cubic meters per person | +12.7% |
| 1995 | 1,099 cubic meters per person | -7.0% |
| 1996 | 1,212 cubic meters per person | +10.3% |
| 1997 | 1,194 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 1,176 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 1,158 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 1,139 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 1,121 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 1,070 cubic meters per person | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 1,021 cubic meters per person | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 972.59 cubic meters per person | -4.7% |
| 2005 | 924.54 cubic meters per person | -4.9% |
| 2006 | 854.14 cubic meters per person | -7.6% |
| 2007 | 783.2 cubic meters per person | -8.3% |
| 2008 | 712.93 cubic meters per person | -9.0% |
| 2009 | 645.46 cubic meters per person | -9.5% |
| 2010 | 617.39 cubic meters per person | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 593.24 cubic meters per person | -3.9% |
| 2012 | 700.97 cubic meters per person | +18.2% |
| 2013 | 849.88 cubic meters per person | +21.2% |
| 2014 | 789.98 cubic meters per person | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 723.65 cubic meters per person | -8.4% |
| 2016 | 699.27 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 704.31 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 711.46 cubic meters per person | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 615.32 cubic meters per person | -13.5% |
| 2020 | 524.79 cubic meters per person | -14.7% |
| 2021 | 631.06 cubic meters per person | +20.3% |
| 2022 | 660.66 cubic meters per person | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 633.62 cubic meters per person | -4.1% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 633.62 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 1.7× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Australia's 633.62 cubic meters per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 570.08 cubic meters per person, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,153 cubic meters per person | 1,048 cubic meters per person | 1,212 cubic meters per person | 7 |
| 2000s | 924.34 cubic meters per person | 645.46 cubic meters per person | 1,139 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 700.55 cubic meters per person | 593.24 cubic meters per person | 849.88 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 612.53 cubic meters per person | 524.79 cubic meters per person | 660.66 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More environment data for Australia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.75 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.345 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6708 % 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 0.0861 % 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 Australia?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Australia was 633.62 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 Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 1,212 cubic meters per person in 1996.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 524.79 cubic meters per person in 2020.
- How does Australia rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Australia ranks 44th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia 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.
Download this data
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About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.