Water withdrawals per capita in Italy
Italy: Water withdrawals per capita was 568.88 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
568.88 cubic meters per person
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
51st
of 180 countries
All-time high
902.43 cubic meters per person
in 2008
All-time low
562.9 cubic meters per person
in 2018
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Italy, 1970–2023
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 Italy stood at 568.88 cubic meters per person.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Italy peaked at 902.43 cubic meters per person in 2008 and was at its lowest, 562.9 cubic meters per person, in 2018.
That places Italy 51st 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 54 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Italy, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 779.17 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1971 | 784.54 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 789.23 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 793.52 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 797.93 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 802.66 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 808.04 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 813.92 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 820.2 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 826.88 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 832.25 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 818.71 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 807.58 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 796.84 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 786.16 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 775.48 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 765.11 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 754.81 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 744.24 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 733.55 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 722.78 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 730.99 cubic meters per person | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 739.11 cubic meters per person | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 747.27 cubic meters per person | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 752.74 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 761.67 cubic meters per person | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 773.63 cubic meters per person | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 782.01 cubic meters per person | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 790.4 cubic meters per person | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 788.98 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 792.41 cubic meters per person | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 762.17 cubic meters per person | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 730.93 cubic meters per person | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 697.35 cubic meters per person | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 662.78 cubic meters per person | -5.0% |
| 2005 | 629.74 cubic meters per person | -5.0% |
| 2006 | 599.54 cubic meters per person | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 568.42 cubic meters per person | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 902.43 cubic meters per person | +58.8% |
| 2009 | 564.02 cubic meters per person | -37.5% |
| 2010 | 563.46 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 563.44 cubic meters per person | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 563.78 cubic meters per person | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 563.86 cubic meters per person | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 563.66 cubic meters per person | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 564.39 cubic meters per person | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 563.87 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 563.27 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 562.9 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 563.94 cubic meters per person | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 565.54 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 566.16 cubic meters per person | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 567.74 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 568.88 cubic meters per person | +0.2% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 568.88 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 1.5× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Italy's 568.88 cubic meters per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 419.39 cubic meters per person, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Water withdrawals per capita in Italy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +58.8% | 568.42 cubic meters per person | 902.43 cubic meters per person |
| 2009 | -37.5% | 902.43 cubic meters per person | 564.02 cubic meters per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 801.61 cubic meters per person | 779.17 cubic meters per person | 826.88 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 781.47 cubic meters per person | 733.55 cubic meters per person | 832.25 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 758.96 cubic meters per person | 722.78 cubic meters per person | 790.4 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 690.98 cubic meters per person | 564.02 cubic meters per person | 902.43 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 563.66 cubic meters per person | 562.9 cubic meters per person | 564.39 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 567.08 cubic meters per person | 565.54 cubic meters per person | 568.88 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More environment data for Italy
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.04 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.47 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.324 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.18 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.94 % 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 -0.2257 % 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 Italy?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Italy was 568.88 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 902.43 cubic meters per person in 2008.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 562.9 cubic meters per person in 2018.
- How does Italy rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Italy ranks 51st out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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.