Water withdrawals per capita in Benin
Benin: Water withdrawals per capita was 16.58 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
16.58 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
172nd
of 180 countries
All-time high
25.59 cubic meters per person
in 1992
All-time low
16.58 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Benin, 1985–2023
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
In 2023, water withdrawals per capita in Benin stood at 16.58 cubic meters per person. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 24.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Benin peaked at 25.59 cubic meters per person in 1992 and was at its lowest, 16.58 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
That places Benin 172nd out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Benin, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 24.24 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1986 | 24.56 cubic meters per person | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 24.83 cubic meters per person | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 25.05 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 25.24 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 25.39 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 25.51 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 25.59 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 25.3 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 25.17 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 24.1 cubic meters per person | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 22.96 cubic meters per person | -4.8% |
| 1997 | 21.78 cubic meters per person | -5.1% |
| 1998 | 20.63 cubic meters per person | -5.3% |
| 1999 | 19.52 cubic meters per person | -5.4% |
| 2000 | 18.47 cubic meters per person | -5.4% |
| 2001 | 17.46 cubic meters per person | -5.4% |
| 2002 | 18.07 cubic meters per person | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 18.63 cubic meters per person | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 19.14 cubic meters per person | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 19.57 cubic meters per person | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 19.97 cubic meters per person | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 20.36 cubic meters per person | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 20.7 cubic meters per person | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 21 cubic meters per person | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 21.27 cubic meters per person | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 21.51 cubic meters per person | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 21.72 cubic meters per person | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 21.9 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 22.06 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 22.18 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 20.43 cubic meters per person | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 19.44 cubic meters per person | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 18.9 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 18.39 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 17.9 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 17.45 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 17.01 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 16.58 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 16.58 cubic meters per person is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 178.62 cubic meters per person, 9% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Benin's 16.58 cubic meters per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.54 cubic meters per person, 28% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 24.78 cubic meters per person | 24.24 cubic meters per person | 25.24 cubic meters per person | 5 |
| 1990s | 23.59 cubic meters per person | 19.52 cubic meters per person | 25.59 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.34 cubic meters per person | 17.46 cubic meters per person | 21 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.78 cubic meters per person | 18.39 cubic meters per person | 22.18 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.23 cubic meters per person | 16.58 cubic meters per person | 17.9 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 169 Burundi 20.33 cubic meters per person compare
- 170 Angola 19.21 cubic meters per person compare
- 171 Lesotho 18.95 cubic meters per person compare
- 173 Djibouti 16.48 cubic meters per person compare
- 174 Congo 14.83 cubic meters per person compare
- 175 Central African Republic 14.07 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Benin
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -9.6 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -10.11 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.268 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.29 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Benin?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Benin was 16.58 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 Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 25.59 cubic meters per person in 1992.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.58 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Benin rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Benin ranks 172nd out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Benin 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.