Water withdrawals per capita in Maldives
Maldives: Water withdrawals per capita was 11.22 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
11.22 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
178th
of 180 countries
All-time high
22.69 cubic meters per person
in 2000
All-time low
11.22 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
37
1987–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Maldives, 1987–2023
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 Maldives stood at 11.22 cubic meters per person. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 23.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Maldives peaked at 22.69 cubic meters per person in 2000 and was at its lowest, 11.22 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
Maldives ranks 178th of 180 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Maldives, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 16.67 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1988 | 16.69 cubic meters per person | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 16.71 cubic meters per person | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 16.72 cubic meters per person | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 16.72 cubic meters per person | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 19.09 cubic meters per person | +14.2% |
| 1993 | 19.54 cubic meters per person | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 20 cubic meters per person | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 20.44 cubic meters per person | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 20.88 cubic meters per person | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 21.32 cubic meters per person | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 21.77 cubic meters per person | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 22.24 cubic meters per person | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 22.69 cubic meters per person | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 22.1 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 21.52 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 20.95 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 20.4 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 18.09 cubic meters per person | -11.3% |
| 2006 | 18.04 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 17.82 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 17.55 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 16.94 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 16.35 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 15.79 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 15.25 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 14.75 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 14.26 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 13.78 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 13.31 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 12.87 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 12.47 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 12.1 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 11.75 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 11.43 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 11.26 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 11.22 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
Maldives compared with similar countries
- Maldives's 11.22 cubic meters per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 450.42 cubic meters per person, 2% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Maldives's 11.22 cubic meters per person is below the median for South Asia, which is 374.82 cubic meters per person, 3% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16.69 cubic meters per person | 16.67 cubic meters per person | 16.71 cubic meters per person | 3 |
| 1990s | 19.87 cubic meters per person | 16.72 cubic meters per person | 22.24 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.61 cubic meters per person | 16.94 cubic meters per person | 22.69 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.09 cubic meters per person | 12.1 cubic meters per person | 16.35 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.41 cubic meters per person | 11.22 cubic meters per person | 11.75 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Maldives
- 175 Central African Republic 14.07 cubic meters per person compare
- 176 Uganda 13.09 cubic meters per person compare
- 177 Comoros 11.76 cubic meters per person compare
- 179 Equatorial Guinea 10.72 cubic meters per person compare
- 180 Democratic Republic of Congo 6.46 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Maldives
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.252 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.911 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 5.45 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Maldives?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Maldives was 11.22 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 Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 22.69 cubic meters per person in 2000.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.22 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Maldives rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Maldives ranks 178th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Maldives 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.