Water withdrawals per capita in China
China: Water withdrawals per capita was 426.13 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
426.13 cubic meters per person
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
68th
of 180 countries
All-time high
457.18 cubic meters per person
in 1984
All-time low
407.61 cubic meters per person
in 2020
Years of data
44
1980–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in China, 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 China is 426.13 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in China peaked at 457.18 cubic meters per person in 1984 and was at its lowest, 407.61 cubic meters per person, in 2020.
That places China 68th out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 China, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 451.3 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1981 | 453.11 cubic meters per person | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 454.29 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 455.61 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 457.18 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 453.91 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 450.09 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 445.75 cubic meters per person | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 441.54 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 437.58 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 433.43 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 434.3 cubic meters per person | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 436.39 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 438.83 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 437.46 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 436.33 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 435.33 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 434.56 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 433.97 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 433.52 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 433.02 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 430.64 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 428.58 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 426.72 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 424.9 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 429.99 cubic meters per person | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 439.66 cubic meters per person | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 438.88 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 443.09 cubic meters per person | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 444.33 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 445.56 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 454.12 cubic meters per person | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 447.69 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 448.39 cubic meters per person | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 439.13 cubic meters per person | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 437.15 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 430.2 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 427.89 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 423.92 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 422.98 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 407.61 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 415.03 cubic meters per person | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 420.87 cubic meters per person | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 426.13 cubic meters per person | +1.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 426.13 cubic meters per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 450.42 cubic meters per person, 95% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- China's 426.13 cubic meters per person is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 570.08 cubic meters per person, 75% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 450.04 cubic meters per person | 437.58 cubic meters per person | 457.18 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 435.41 cubic meters per person | 433.43 cubic meters per person | 438.83 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 433.98 cubic meters per person | 424.9 cubic meters per person | 444.33 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 437.7 cubic meters per person | 422.98 cubic meters per person | 454.12 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 417.41 cubic meters per person | 407.61 cubic meters per person | 426.13 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 65 Slovenia 447.51 cubic meters per person compare
- 66 Russia 445.68 cubic meters per person compare
- 67 Bhutan 429.81 cubic meters per person compare
- 69 Belgium 420.23 cubic meters per person compare
- 70 Romania 418.55 cubic meters per person compare
- 71 Netherlands 407.21 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8065 % 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 -0.2517 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9037 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in China?
- Water withdrawals per capita in China was 426.13 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 457.18 cubic meters per person in 1984.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 407.61 cubic meters per person in 2020.
- How does China rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- China ranks 68th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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.