Water withdrawals per capita in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Water withdrawals per capita was 1,010 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Water withdrawals per capita in Puerto Rico, 1990–2023
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 Puerto Rico is 1,010 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Puerto Rico peaked at 1,189 cubic meters per person in 1990 and was at its lowest, 929.78 cubic meters per person, in 2015.
Puerto Rico ranks 15th of 180 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,189 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1991 | 1,169 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 1,149 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 1,130 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 1,113 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 1,095 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 1,079 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 1,063 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 1,047 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 1,032 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 1,019 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 1,033 cubic meters per person | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 1,048 cubic meters per person | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 1,064 cubic meters per person | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 1,081 cubic meters per person | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 1,099 cubic meters per person | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 1,102 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 1,105 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 1,109 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 1,112 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 1,118 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 1,080 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 1,043 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 1,005 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 967.68 cubic meters per person | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 929.78 cubic meters per person | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 942.03 cubic meters per person | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 971.12 cubic meters per person | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 995.27 cubic meters per person | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 995.89 cubic meters per person | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 999.6 cubic meters per person | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 1,007 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 1,010 cubic meters per person | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 1,010 cubic meters per person | -0.0% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's 1,010 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 2.7× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's 1,010 cubic meters per person is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 323.09 cubic meters per person, 3.1× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,107 cubic meters per person | 1,032 cubic meters per person | 1,189 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,077 cubic meters per person | 1,019 cubic meters per person | 1,112 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,005 cubic meters per person | 929.78 cubic meters per person | 1,118 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,007 cubic meters per person | 999.6 cubic meters per person | 1,010 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
More environment data for Puerto Rico
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.4091 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.5906 Percentage change (2025)
- Temperature change 1.16 °C (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.268 °C (2025)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Value US$ 864.98 million USD (2024)
- Land area equipped for irrigation — Area 22.04 1000 ha (2024)
- Land area equipped for irrigation — Share in Cropland 30.48 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Value Standard 864.98 million SLC (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Share of GDP US$ 0.6901 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Puerto Rico?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Puerto Rico was 1,010 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 Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 1,189 cubic meters per person in 1990.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 929.78 cubic meters per person in 2015.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Puerto Rico ranks 15th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Puerto Rico 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.