Water withdrawals per capita in Belgium
Belgium: Water withdrawals per capita was 420.23 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
420.23 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
69th
of 180 countries
All-time high
918.38 cubic meters per person
in 1980
All-time low
352.12 cubic meters per person
in 2020
Years of data
44
1980–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Belgium, 1980–2023
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 Belgium is 420.23 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Belgium peaked at 918.38 cubic meters per person in 1980 and was at its lowest, 352.12 cubic meters per person, in 2020.
Belgium ranks 69th of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Belgium, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 918.38 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1981 | 911.47 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 905.12 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 899.23 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 893.47 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 887.69 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 881.84 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 875.51 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 868.73 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 861.75 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 854.42 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 845.98 cubic meters per person | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 836.85 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 828.47 cubic meters per person | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 820.78 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 813.94 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 784.74 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 1997 | 755.29 cubic meters per person | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 748.64 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 741.89 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 735.06 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 693.77 cubic meters per person | -5.6% |
| 2002 | 652.09 cubic meters per person | -6.0% |
| 2003 | 638.29 cubic meters per person | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 624.08 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 609.63 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 597.5 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 585.13 cubic meters per person | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 568.55 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 555.08 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 518.08 cubic meters per person | -6.7% |
| 2011 | 482.85 cubic meters per person | -6.8% |
| 2012 | 449.61 cubic meters per person | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 417.91 cubic meters per person | -7.0% |
| 2014 | 384.65 cubic meters per person | -8.0% |
| 2015 | 354.23 cubic meters per person | -7.9% |
| 2016 | 365.97 cubic meters per person | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 386.06 cubic meters per person | +5.5% |
| 2018 | 371.88 cubic meters per person | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 364.72 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 352.12 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 367.67 cubic meters per person | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 422.8 cubic meters per person | +15.0% |
| 2023 | 420.23 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 420.23 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 1.1× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 420.23 cubic meters per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 419.39 cubic meters per person, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 890.32 cubic meters per person | 861.75 cubic meters per person | 918.38 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 803.1 cubic meters per person | 741.89 cubic meters per person | 854.42 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 625.92 cubic meters per person | 555.08 cubic meters per person | 735.06 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 409.6 cubic meters per person | 354.23 cubic meters per person | 518.08 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 390.7 cubic meters per person | 352.12 cubic meters per person | 422.8 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More environment data for Belgium
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.574 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.19 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.5577 % 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 0.0605 % 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 Belgium?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Belgium was 420.23 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 Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 918.38 cubic meters per person in 1980.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 352.12 cubic meters per person in 2020.
- How does Belgium rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Belgium ranks 69th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium 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.