Water withdrawals per capita in Canada
Canada: Water withdrawals per capita was 918.21 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
918.21 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
21st
of 180 countries
All-time high
1,612 cubic meters per person
in 1987
All-time low
918.21 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Canada, 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 Canada stood at 918.21 cubic meters per person. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Canada peaked at 1,612 cubic meters per person in 1987 and was at its lowest, 918.21 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
That places Canada 21st out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Canada, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1,590 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1986 | 1,610 cubic meters per person | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 1,612 cubic meters per person | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 1,610 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 1,605 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 1,602 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 1,601 cubic meters per person | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 1,562 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 1,524 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 1,488 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 1,453 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 1,418 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 1,391 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 1,366 cubic meters per person | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 1,339 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 1,312 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 1,302 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 1,293 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 1,284 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 1,276 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 1,267 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 1,258 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 1,249 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 1,198 cubic meters per person | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 1,147 cubic meters per person | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 1,186 cubic meters per person | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 1,139 cubic meters per person | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 1,096 cubic meters per person | -3.7% |
| 2013 | 1,054 cubic meters per person | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 1,016 cubic meters per person | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 977.69 cubic meters per person | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 982.21 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 984.91 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 969.41 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 954.28 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 942.3 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 939.51 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 929.52 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 918.21 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 918.21 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 2.4× the median. (59 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,605 cubic meters per person | 1,590 cubic meters per person | 1,612 cubic meters per person | 5 |
| 1990s | 1,474 cubic meters per person | 1,339 cubic meters per person | 1,602 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,259 cubic meters per person | 1,147 cubic meters per person | 1,312 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,036 cubic meters per person | 954.28 cubic meters per person | 1,186 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 932.39 cubic meters per person | 918.21 cubic meters per person | 942.3 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 18 Laos 958.9 cubic meters per person compare
- 19 Madagascar 957.18 cubic meters per person compare
- 20 Tajikistan 952.86 cubic meters per person compare
- 22 Eswatini 867.94 cubic meters per person compare
- 23 Greece 856.07 cubic meters per person compare
- 24 East Timor 846.65 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Canada
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.76 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.642 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.96 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.7 % 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 -0.3398 % 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 Canada?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Canada was 918.21 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 1,612 cubic meters per person in 1987.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 918.21 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Canada rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Canada ranks 21st out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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.