Water withdrawals per capita in Japan
Japan: Water withdrawals per capita was 619.12 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
619.12 cubic meters per person
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
46th
of 180 countries
All-time high
745.19 cubic meters per person
in 1980
All-time low
616.01 cubic meters per person
in 2022
Years of data
44
1980–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Japan, 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 Japan is 619.12 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Japan peaked at 745.19 cubic meters per person in 1980 and was at its lowest, 616.01 cubic meters per person, in 2022.
That places Japan 46th 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 Japan, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 745.19 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1981 | 743.56 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 742.84 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 742.31 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 741.95 cubic meters per person | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 741.51 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 740.55 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 739.34 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 738.4 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 737.85 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 737.41 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 736.12 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 734.82 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 725.41 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 716.12 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 707.23 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 711.45 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 715.71 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 714.29 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 713.06 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 711.97 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 687.92 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 664 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 660.26 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 656.74 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 653.47 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 650.28 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 647.84 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 641.52 cubic meters per person | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 635.37 cubic meters per person | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 633.46 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 631.95 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 630.82 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 629.88 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 629.09 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 628.16 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 626.77 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 624.09 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 623.26 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 618.79 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 631.01 cubic meters per person | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 625.4 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 616.01 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 619.12 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 619.12 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 1.6× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Japan's 619.12 cubic meters per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 570.08 cubic meters per person, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 741.35 cubic meters per person | 737.85 cubic meters per person | 745.19 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 721.16 cubic meters per person | 707.23 cubic meters per person | 737.41 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 660.94 cubic meters per person | 635.37 cubic meters per person | 711.97 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 627.63 cubic meters per person | 618.79 cubic meters per person | 633.46 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 622.89 cubic meters per person | 616.01 cubic meters per person | 631.01 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More environment data for Japan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.8 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.358 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.86 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -2.8 % 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 -0.4957 % 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 Japan?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Japan was 619.12 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 745.19 cubic meters per person in 1980.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 616.01 cubic meters per person in 2022.
- How does Japan rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Japan ranks 46th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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.