Water withdrawals per capita in Portugal
Portugal: Water withdrawals per capita was 591.44 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
591.44 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
49th
of 180 countries
All-time high
1,302 cubic meters per person
in 1994
All-time low
581.09 cubic meters per person
in 2018
Years of data
33
1991–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Portugal, 1991–2023
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 Portugal stood at 591.44 cubic meters per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Portugal peaked at 1,302 cubic meters per person in 1994 and was at its lowest, 581.09 cubic meters per person, in 2018.
That places Portugal 49th 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 33 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Portugal, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 862.66 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1992 | 1,011 cubic meters per person | +17.2% |
| 1993 | 1,158 cubic meters per person | +14.5% |
| 1994 | 1,302 cubic meters per person | +12.5% |
| 1995 | 1,281 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 1,220 cubic meters per person | -4.8% |
| 1997 | 1,158 cubic meters per person | -5.1% |
| 1998 | 1,096 cubic meters per person | -5.3% |
| 1999 | 1,067 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 1,038 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 1,008 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 979.78 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 953.6 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 928.87 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 904.74 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 861.2 cubic meters per person | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 867.65 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 812.15 cubic meters per person | -6.4% |
| 2009 | 784.24 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 759.89 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 737.22 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 711.43 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 689.03 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 666.22 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 642.18 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 618.83 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 596.59 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 581.09 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 594.69 cubic meters per person | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 594.88 cubic meters per person | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 593.71 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 592.22 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 591.44 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 591.44 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 1.6× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 591.44 cubic meters per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 419.39 cubic meters per person, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,128 cubic meters per person | 862.66 cubic meters per person | 1,302 cubic meters per person | 9 |
| 2000s | 913.76 cubic meters per person | 784.24 cubic meters per person | 1,038 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 659.72 cubic meters per person | 581.09 cubic meters per person | 759.89 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 593.06 cubic meters per person | 591.44 cubic meters per person | 594.88 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More environment data for Portugal
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.6043 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.5127 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.44 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.29 % 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 0.1607 % 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 Portugal?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Portugal was 591.44 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 1,302 cubic meters per person in 1994.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 581.09 cubic meters per person in 2018.
- How does Portugal rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Portugal ranks 49th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal 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.