Water withdrawals per capita in Pakistan
Pakistan: Water withdrawals per capita was 741.2 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
741.2 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
37th
of 180 countries
All-time high
2,208 cubic meters per person
in 1975
All-time low
741.2 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
49
1975–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Pakistan, 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 Pakistan stood at 741.2 cubic meters per person. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Pakistan peaked at 2,208 cubic meters per person in 1975 and was at its lowest, 741.2 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
That places Pakistan 37th out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 2,208 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1976 | 2,143 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 1977 | 2,079 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 2,015 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 1979 | 1,948 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 1980 | 1,872 cubic meters per person | -3.9% |
| 1981 | 1,797 cubic meters per person | -4.0% |
| 1982 | 1,732 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 1983 | 1,675 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 1984 | 1,625 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 1,576 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 1986 | 1,525 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 1987 | 1,475 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 1,427 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 1989 | 1,383 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 1,338 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 1991 | 1,296 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 1,275 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 1,255 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 1,233 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 1,212 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 1,191 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 1,171 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 1,152 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 1,134 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 1,114 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 1,091 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 1,073 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 1,056 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 1,037 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 1,020 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 1,004 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 986.2 cubic meters per person | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 968.08 cubic meters per person | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 943.79 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 920.75 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 900.38 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 883.38 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 869.13 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 856.18 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 844.26 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 833.34 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 821.64 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 808.4 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 794.84 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 780.63 cubic meters per person | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 766.04 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 752.77 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 741.2 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 741.2 cubic meters per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 178.62 cubic meters per person, 4.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 741.2 cubic meters per person is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 315.42 cubic meters per person, 2.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,079 cubic meters per person | 1,948 cubic meters per person | 2,208 cubic meters per person | 5 |
| 1980s | 1,609 cubic meters per person | 1,383 cubic meters per person | 1,872 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,226 cubic meters per person | 1,134 cubic meters per person | 1,338 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,029 cubic meters per person | 943.79 cubic meters per person | 1,114 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 853.23 cubic meters per person | 794.84 cubic meters per person | 920.75 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 760.16 cubic meters per person | 741.2 cubic meters per person | 780.63 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 34 Saudi Arabia 781.38 cubic meters per person compare
- 35 Bulgaria 773.12 cubic meters per person compare
- 36 Serbia 761.09 cubic meters per person compare
- 38 Turkey 739.86 cubic meters per person compare
- 39 Iceland 718.09 cubic meters per person compare
- 40 Syria 710.35 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Pakistan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -10.53 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.373 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.72 % 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) -1.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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 Pakistan?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Pakistan was 741.2 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 2,208 cubic meters per person in 1975.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 741.2 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Pakistan rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Pakistan ranks 37th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.