Water withdrawals per capita in Libya
Libya: Water withdrawals per capita was 798.01 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
798.01 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
31st
of 180 countries
All-time high
1,071 cubic meters per person
in 1990
All-time low
429.27 cubic meters per person
in 1980
Years of data
49
1975–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Libya, 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
In 2023, water withdrawals per capita in Libya stood at 798.01 cubic meters per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Libya peaked at 1,071 cubic meters per person in 1990 and was at its lowest, 429.27 cubic meters per person, in 1980.
That places Libya 31st out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Libya, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 466.64 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1976 | 460.82 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 453.93 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 446.19 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 437.87 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 1980 | 429.27 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 496.76 cubic meters per person | +15.7% |
| 1982 | 571.31 cubic meters per person | +15.0% |
| 1983 | 660.67 cubic meters per person | +15.6% |
| 1984 | 738.28 cubic meters per person | +11.7% |
| 1985 | 798.98 cubic meters per person | +8.2% |
| 1986 | 857.27 cubic meters per person | +7.3% |
| 1987 | 913.62 cubic meters per person | +6.6% |
| 1988 | 967.97 cubic meters per person | +5.9% |
| 1989 | 1,020 cubic meters per person | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 1,071 cubic meters per person | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 1,039 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 1,009 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 980.34 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 953.95 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 928.15 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 903.99 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 881.18 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 859.24 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 837.75 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 815.45 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 820.67 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 824.77 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 827.81 cubic meters per person | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 829.82 cubic meters per person | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 831.06 cubic meters per person | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 837.14 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 842.6 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 846.91 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 851.01 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 854.97 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 897.45 cubic meters per person | +5.0% |
| 2012 | 943.47 cubic meters per person | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 924.72 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 907.08 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 892.55 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 879.05 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 865.14 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 851.21 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 838.72 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 827.49 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 817.08 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 807.05 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 798.01 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 798.01 cubic meters per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 450.42 cubic meters per person, 1.8× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Libya's 798.01 cubic meters per person is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 315.42 cubic meters per person, 2.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 453.09 cubic meters per person | 437.87 cubic meters per person | 466.64 cubic meters per person | 5 |
| 1980s | 745.44 cubic meters per person | 429.27 cubic meters per person | 1,020 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 946.26 cubic meters per person | 837.75 cubic meters per person | 1,071 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 832.73 cubic meters per person | 815.45 cubic meters per person | 851.01 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 885.44 cubic meters per person | 838.72 cubic meters per person | 943.47 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 812.41 cubic meters per person | 798.01 cubic meters per person | 827.49 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Libya
- 28 Venezuela 799.49 cubic meters per person compare
- 29 Thailand 799.22 cubic meters per person compare
- 30 Vietnam 799.18 cubic meters per person compare
- 32 Philippines 793.83 cubic meters per person compare
- 33 Indonesia 791.76 cubic meters per person compare
- 34 Saudi Arabia 781.38 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Libya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -35.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -10.37 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.386 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.2239 % 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 0.1672 % 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 Libya?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Libya was 798.01 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 Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 1,071 cubic meters per person in 1990.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 429.27 cubic meters per person in 1980.
- How does Libya rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Libya ranks 31st out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Libya 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.