Water withdrawals per capita in Eswatini
Eswatini: Water withdrawals per capita was 867.94 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
867.94 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
22nd
of 180 countries
All-time high
1,101 cubic meters per person
in 1980
All-time low
867.94 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
44
1980–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Eswatini, 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
In 2023, water withdrawals per capita in Eswatini stood at 867.94 cubic meters per person. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Eswatini peaked at 1,101 cubic meters per person in 1980 and was at its lowest, 867.94 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
That places Eswatini 22nd out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1,101 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1981 | 1,096 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 1,091 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 1,085 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 1,078 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 1,067 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 1,051 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 1,037 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 1,014 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 990.99 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 973.72 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 956.57 cubic meters per person | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 941.26 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 934.04 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 953.96 cubic meters per person | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 974.56 cubic meters per person | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 974.9 cubic meters per person | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 977.76 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 984.16 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 992.21 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 1,001 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 996.32 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 993.35 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 991.47 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 990.35 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 989.79 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 984.84 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 979.18 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 972.6 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 966.38 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 960.73 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 955.42 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 950.29 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 945.14 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 939.89 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 934.54 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 929.09 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 922.12 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 913.66 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 905.18 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 895.42 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 885.14 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 876.19 cubic meters per person | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 867.94 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 867.94 cubic meters per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 178.62 cubic meters per person, 4.9× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 867.94 cubic meters per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.54 cubic meters per person, 14.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,061 cubic meters per person | 990.99 cubic meters per person | 1,101 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 966.32 cubic meters per person | 934.04 cubic meters per person | 992.21 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 986.48 cubic meters per person | 966.38 cubic meters per person | 1,001 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 935.61 cubic meters per person | 905.18 cubic meters per person | 960.73 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 881.17 cubic meters per person | 867.94 cubic meters per person | 895.42 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
- 19 Madagascar 957.18 cubic meters per person compare
- 20 Tajikistan 952.86 cubic meters per person compare
- 21 Canada 918.21 cubic meters per person compare
- 23 Greece 856.07 cubic meters per person compare
- 24 East Timor 846.65 cubic meters per person compare
- 25 Argentina 829.63 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Eswatini
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.321 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.02 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.325 % 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)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 1.89 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Eswatini?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Eswatini was 867.94 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 Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 1,101 cubic meters per person in 1980.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 867.94 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Eswatini rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Eswatini ranks 22nd out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eswatini 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.