Water withdrawals per capita in Nepal
Nepal: Water withdrawals per capita was 319.83 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
319.83 cubic meters per person
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
82nd
of 180 countries
All-time high
389.57 cubic meters per person
in 2000
All-time low
319.6 cubic meters per person
in 2022
Years of data
24
2000–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Nepal, 2000–2023
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
Nepal recorded 319.83 cubic meters per person for water withdrawals per capita in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Nepal peaked at 389.57 cubic meters per person in 2000 and was at its lowest, 319.6 cubic meters per person, in 2022.
That places Nepal 82nd 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 24 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Nepal, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 389.57 cubic meters per person | — |
| 2001 | 382.79 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 376.5 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 370.72 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 365.54 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 360.98 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 357.5 cubic meters per person | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 354.52 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 351.87 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 349.5 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 347.35 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 345.8 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 344.91 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 344.22 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 343.2 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 341.33 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 339.72 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 339.05 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 338.22 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 334.24 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 327.86 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 322.21 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 319.6 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 319.83 cubic meters per person | +0.1% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 319.83 cubic meters per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 178.62 cubic meters per person, 1.8× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 319.83 cubic meters per person is below the median for South Asia, which is 374.82 cubic meters per person, 85% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 365.95 cubic meters per person | 349.5 cubic meters per person | 389.57 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 341.8 cubic meters per person | 334.24 cubic meters per person | 347.35 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 322.38 cubic meters per person | 319.6 cubic meters per person | 327.86 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 79 South Africa 330.15 cubic meters per person compare
- 80 North Korea 327.72 cubic meters per person compare
- 81 El Salvador 323.09 cubic meters per person compare
- 83 Lebanon 318.7 cubic meters per person compare
- 84 Tunisia 315.42 cubic meters per person compare
- 85 Qatar 313.59 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Nepal
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.41 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.265 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.43 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.54 % 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 -6.53 % 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 Nepal?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Nepal was 319.83 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 389.57 cubic meters per person in 2000.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 319.6 cubic meters per person in 2022.
- How does Nepal rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Nepal ranks 82nd out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal 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.