Water withdrawals per capita in Namibia
Namibia: Water withdrawals per capita was 94.89 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
94.89 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
139th
of 180 countries
All-time high
175.89 cubic meters per person
in 1991
All-time low
45.9 cubic meters per person
in 2021
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Namibia, 1985–2023
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
Namibia recorded 94.89 cubic meters per person for water withdrawals per capita in 2023.
That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and down 23.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Namibia peaked at 175.89 cubic meters per person in 1991 and was at its lowest, 45.9 cubic meters per person, in 2021.
Namibia ranks 139th of 180 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Namibia, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 127.63 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1986 | 139.83 cubic meters per person | +9.6% |
| 1987 | 150.97 cubic meters per person | +8.0% |
| 1988 | 160.77 cubic meters per person | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 164.97 cubic meters per person | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 168.55 cubic meters per person | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 175.89 cubic meters per person | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 174.5 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 173 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 171.56 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 170.39 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 169.49 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 168.71 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 167.94 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 167.19 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 164.96 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 157.97 cubic meters per person | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 151.7 cubic meters per person | -4.0% |
| 2003 | 149.19 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 146.96 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 144.8 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 142.63 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 140.43 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 138.16 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 135.83 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 133.43 cubic meters per person | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 130.86 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 127.69 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 124.12 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 120.64 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 117.2 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 113.82 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 110.49 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 107.22 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 104.01 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 53.12 cubic meters per person | -48.9% |
| 2021 | 45.9 cubic meters per person | -13.6% |
| 2022 | 97.3 cubic meters per person | +112.0% |
| 2023 | 94.89 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 94.89 cubic meters per person is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 178.62 cubic meters per person, 53% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 94.89 cubic meters per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.54 cubic meters per person, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Water withdrawals per capita in Namibia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +112.0% | 45.9 cubic meters per person | 97.3 cubic meters per person |
| 2020 | -48.9% | 104.01 cubic meters per person | 53.12 cubic meters per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 148.84 cubic meters per person | 127.63 cubic meters per person | 164.97 cubic meters per person | 5 |
| 1990s | 170.72 cubic meters per person | 167.19 cubic meters per person | 175.89 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 147.26 cubic meters per person | 135.83 cubic meters per person | 164.96 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 118.95 cubic meters per person | 104.01 cubic meters per person | 133.43 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.8 cubic meters per person | 45.9 cubic meters per person | 97.3 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More environment data for Namibia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.99 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.14 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.319 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.979 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.39 % 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) -100 % change on previous year (2009)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Namibia?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Namibia was 94.89 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 175.89 cubic meters per person in 1991.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.9 cubic meters per person in 2021.
- How does Namibia rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Namibia ranks 139th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Namibia 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.