Water withdrawals per capita in Norway
Norway: Water withdrawals per capita was 487.27 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
487.27 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
60th
of 180 countries
All-time high
642.62 cubic meters per person
in 2007
All-time low
487.27 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
44
1980–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Norway, 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 Norway is 487.27 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Norway peaked at 642.62 cubic meters per person in 2007 and was at its lowest, 487.27 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
Norway ranks 60th of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Water withdrawals per capita in Norway, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 489.52 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1981 | 494.25 cubic meters per person | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 498.82 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 503.53 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 508.46 cubic meters per person | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 513.26 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 517.73 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 521.58 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 525.01 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 529.05 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 533.43 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 537.06 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 540.1 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 542.98 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 545.95 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 549.15 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 552.37 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 543.95 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 535.33 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 526.31 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 535.87 cubic meters per person | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 569.21 cubic meters per person | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 562.83 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 564.94 cubic meters per person | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 611.83 cubic meters per person | +8.3% |
| 2005 | 592.52 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 630.64 cubic meters per person | +6.4% |
| 2007 | 642.62 cubic meters per person | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 615.41 cubic meters per person | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 588.7 cubic meters per person | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 573.86 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 559.02 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 544.37 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 542.09 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 540.92 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 522.88 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 505.79 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 510.01 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 506.25 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 502.44 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 499.09 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 488.88 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 492.84 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 487.27 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 487.27 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 1.3× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Norway's 487.27 cubic meters per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 419.39 cubic meters per person, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 510.12 cubic meters per person | 489.52 cubic meters per person | 529.05 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 540.66 cubic meters per person | 526.31 cubic meters per person | 552.37 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 591.46 cubic meters per person | 535.87 cubic meters per person | 642.62 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 530.76 cubic meters per person | 502.44 cubic meters per person | 573.86 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 492.02 cubic meters per person | 487.27 cubic meters per person | 499.09 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 57 Cape Verde 506.82 cubic meters per person compare
- 58 Finland 499.73 cubic meters per person compare
- 59 Afghanistan 491.45 cubic meters per person compare
- 61 Mauritius 486.03 cubic meters per person compare
- 62 Hungary 476.02 cubic meters per person compare
- 63 Colombia 474.71 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Norway
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.9857 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.8118 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.738 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.52 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.08 % 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 -0.28 % 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 Norway?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Norway was 487.27 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 Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 642.62 cubic meters per person in 2007.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 487.27 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Norway rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Norway ranks 60th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Norway 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.
Download this data
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About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.