Water withdrawals per capita in Iraq
Iraq: Water withdrawals per capita was 1,071 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1,071 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
12th
of 180 countries
All-time high
3,514 cubic meters per person
in 1975
All-time low
833.71 cubic meters per person
in 2018
Years of data
49
1975–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Iraq, 1975–2023
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 Iraq is 1,071 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Iraq peaked at 3,514 cubic meters per person in 1975 and was at its lowest, 833.71 cubic meters per person, in 2018.
Iraq ranks 12th of 180 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Iraq, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 3,514 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1976 | 3,404 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 3,297 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 1978 | 3,191 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 1979 | 3,094 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 1980 | 3,001 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 2,916 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 1982 | 2,838 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 2,758 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 2,676 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 2,616 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 2,574 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 2,526 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 2,489 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 2,444 cubic meters per person | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 2,434 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 2,540 cubic meters per person | +4.3% |
| 1992 | 2,592 cubic meters per person | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 2,592 cubic meters per person | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 2,586 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 2,612 cubic meters per person | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 2,638 cubic meters per person | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 2,662 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 2,681 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 2,694 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 2,702 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 2,546 cubic meters per person | -5.8% |
| 2002 | 2,395 cubic meters per person | -5.9% |
| 2003 | 2,255 cubic meters per person | -5.9% |
| 2004 | 2,124 cubic meters per person | -5.8% |
| 2005 | 1,996 cubic meters per person | -6.0% |
| 2006 | 1,917 cubic meters per person | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 1,867 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 1,765 cubic meters per person | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 1,640 cubic meters per person | -7.1% |
| 2010 | 1,528 cubic meters per person | -6.8% |
| 2011 | 1,417 cubic meters per person | -7.3% |
| 2012 | 1,299 cubic meters per person | -8.3% |
| 2013 | 1,186 cubic meters per person | -8.7% |
| 2014 | 1,094 cubic meters per person | -7.8% |
| 2015 | 929.7 cubic meters per person | -15.0% |
| 2016 | 1,002 cubic meters per person | +7.8% |
| 2017 | 1,095 cubic meters per person | +9.3% |
| 2018 | 833.71 cubic meters per person | -23.9% |
| 2019 | 1,375 cubic meters per person | +64.9% |
| 2020 | 1,414 cubic meters per person | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 1,331 cubic meters per person | -5.9% |
| 2022 | 1,096 cubic meters per person | -17.7% |
| 2023 | 1,071 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 1,071 cubic meters per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 450.42 cubic meters per person, 2.4× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 1,071 cubic meters per person is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 315.42 cubic meters per person, 3.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Water withdrawals per capita in Iraq changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +64.9% | 833.71 cubic meters per person | 1,375 cubic meters per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3,300 cubic meters per person | 3,094 cubic meters per person | 3,514 cubic meters per person | 5 |
| 1980s | 2,684 cubic meters per person | 2,444 cubic meters per person | 3,001 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,603 cubic meters per person | 2,434 cubic meters per person | 2,694 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,121 cubic meters per person | 1,640 cubic meters per person | 2,702 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,176 cubic meters per person | 833.71 cubic meters per person | 1,528 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,228 cubic meters per person | 1,071 cubic meters per person | 1,414 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 9 Uzbekistan 1,248 cubic meters per person compare
- 10 Kazakhstan 1,198 cubic meters per person compare
- 11 Kyrgyzstan 1,083 cubic meters per person compare
- 13 Armenia 1,044 cubic meters per person compare
- 14 Iran 1,030 cubic meters per person compare
- 15 Puerto Rico 1,010 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Iraq
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -38.03 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -26.27 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.549 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.99 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2 % 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 6.65 % 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 Iraq?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Iraq was 1,071 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 3,514 cubic meters per person in 1975.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 833.71 cubic meters per person in 2018.
- How does Iraq rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Iraq ranks 12th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq 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.