Water withdrawals per capita in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Water withdrawals per capita was 781.38 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
781.38 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
34th
of 180 countries
All-time high
1,456 cubic meters per person
in 1992
All-time low
758.55 cubic meters per person
in 2017
Years of data
32
1992–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Saudi Arabia, 1992–2023
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 Saudi Arabia is 781.38 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Saudi Arabia peaked at 1,456 cubic meters per person in 1992 and was at its lowest, 758.55 cubic meters per person, in 2017.
Saudi Arabia ranks 34th of 180 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1,456 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1993 | 1,433 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 1,411 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 1,391 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 1,371 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 1,353 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 1,336 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 1,320 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 1,293 cubic meters per person | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 1,251 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 1,212 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 1,177 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 1,144 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 1,123 cubic meters per person | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 1,103 cubic meters per person | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 1,037 cubic meters per person | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 976.47 cubic meters per person | -5.9% |
| 2009 | 919.78 cubic meters per person | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 866.95 cubic meters per person | -5.7% |
| 2011 | 817.64 cubic meters per person | -5.7% |
| 2012 | 771.55 cubic meters per person | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 794.27 cubic meters per person | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 807.43 cubic meters per person | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 828.42 cubic meters per person | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 779.16 cubic meters per person | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 758.55 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 855.98 cubic meters per person | +12.8% |
| 2019 | 852.96 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 838.69 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 829.66 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 807.82 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 781.38 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 781.38 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 2.1× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 781.38 cubic meters per person is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 315.42 cubic meters per person, 2.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,384 cubic meters per person | 1,320 cubic meters per person | 1,456 cubic meters per person | 8 |
| 2000s | 1,124 cubic meters per person | 919.78 cubic meters per person | 1,293 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 813.29 cubic meters per person | 758.55 cubic meters per person | 866.95 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 814.39 cubic meters per person | 781.38 cubic meters per person | 838.69 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 31 Libya 798.01 cubic meters per person compare
- 32 Philippines 793.83 cubic meters per person compare
- 33 Indonesia 791.76 cubic meters per person compare
- 35 Bulgaria 773.12 cubic meters per person compare
- 36 Serbia 761.09 cubic meters per person compare
- 37 Pakistan 741.2 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Saudi Arabia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -52.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -27.86 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.424 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.5766 % 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) 5.3 % 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 Saudi Arabia?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Saudi Arabia was 781.38 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 1,456 cubic meters per person in 1992.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 758.55 cubic meters per person in 2017.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 34th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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
CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.