Water withdrawals per capita in Iceland
Iceland: Water withdrawals per capita was 718.09 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
718.09 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
39th
of 180 countries
All-time high
928.44 cubic meters per person
in 2011
All-time low
463.96 cubic meters per person
in 1985
Years of data
44
1980–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Iceland, 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
Iceland recorded 718.09 cubic meters per person for water withdrawals per capita in 2023.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Iceland peaked at 928.44 cubic meters per person in 2011 and was at its lowest, 463.96 cubic meters per person, in 1985.
That places Iceland 39th out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Iceland, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 473.38 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1981 | 471.51 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 468.69 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 465.89 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 464.3 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 463.96 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 505.79 cubic meters per person | +9.0% |
| 1987 | 545.04 cubic meters per person | +7.8% |
| 1988 | 580.63 cubic meters per person | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 616.97 cubic meters per person | +6.3% |
| 1990 | 655.33 cubic meters per person | +6.2% |
| 1991 | 647.76 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 639.64 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 631.27 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 623.93 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 618.67 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 613.47 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 606.6 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 598.3 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 589.3 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 579.49 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 575.33 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 573.7 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 569.74 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 564.74 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 612.46 cubic meters per person | +8.4% |
| 2006 | 653.56 cubic meters per person | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 691.16 cubic meters per person | +5.8% |
| 2008 | 731.3 cubic meters per person | +5.8% |
| 2009 | 781.51 cubic meters per person | +6.9% |
| 2010 | 835.43 cubic meters per person | +6.9% |
| 2011 | 928.44 cubic meters per person | +11.1% |
| 2012 | 917.28 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 899.08 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 840.27 cubic meters per person | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 840.91 cubic meters per person | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 774.79 cubic meters per person | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 810.12 cubic meters per person | +4.6% |
| 2018 | 788.71 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 771.56 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 759.11 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 746.83 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 731.68 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 718.09 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 718.09 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 1.9× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 718.09 cubic meters per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 419.39 cubic meters per person, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 505.62 cubic meters per person | 463.96 cubic meters per person | 616.97 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 622.43 cubic meters per person | 589.3 cubic meters per person | 655.33 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 633.3 cubic meters per person | 564.74 cubic meters per person | 781.51 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 840.66 cubic meters per person | 771.56 cubic meters per person | 928.44 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 738.93 cubic meters per person | 718.09 cubic meters per person | 759.11 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More environment data for Iceland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 3.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.587 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.47 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8549 % 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 -1.93 % 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Iceland?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Iceland was 718.09 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 928.44 cubic meters per person in 2011.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 463.96 cubic meters per person in 1985.
- How does Iceland rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Iceland ranks 39th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland 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.