Water withdrawals per capita in Somalia
Somalia: Water withdrawals per capita was 179.64 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
179.64 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
115th
of 180 countries
All-time high
372.23 cubic meters per person
in 2000
All-time low
112.06 cubic meters per person
in 1987
Years of data
37
1987–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Somalia, 1987–2023
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
Somalia recorded 179.64 cubic meters per person for water withdrawals per capita in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 29.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Somalia peaked at 372.23 cubic meters per person in 2000 and was at its lowest, 112.06 cubic meters per person, in 1987.
That places Somalia 115th 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 37 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Somalia, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 112.06 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1988 | 138.32 cubic meters per person | +23.4% |
| 1989 | 167.47 cubic meters per person | +21.1% |
| 1990 | 195.16 cubic meters per person | +16.5% |
| 1991 | 230.87 cubic meters per person | +18.3% |
| 1992 | 271.56 cubic meters per person | +17.6% |
| 1993 | 292.55 cubic meters per person | +7.7% |
| 1994 | 305.31 cubic meters per person | +4.4% |
| 1995 | 320.68 cubic meters per person | +5.0% |
| 1996 | 334.49 cubic meters per person | +4.3% |
| 1997 | 347.33 cubic meters per person | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 356.63 cubic meters per person | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 364.96 cubic meters per person | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 372.23 cubic meters per person | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 357.96 cubic meters per person | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 345.06 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2003 | 332.82 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 320.79 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 309.84 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 300.49 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 291.28 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2008 | 282.77 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 275.73 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 268.97 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 267.07 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 264.66 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 256.26 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 247.24 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 238.87 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 229.85 cubic meters per person | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 221.1 cubic meters per person | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 213.43 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 205.73 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 198.06 cubic meters per person | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 190.95 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2022 | 185.26 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 179.64 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 179.64 cubic meters per person is above the median for low income countries, which is 64.29 cubic meters per person, 2.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 179.64 cubic meters per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.54 cubic meters per person, 3.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 139.28 cubic meters per person | 112.06 cubic meters per person | 167.47 cubic meters per person | 3 |
| 1990s | 301.95 cubic meters per person | 195.16 cubic meters per person | 364.96 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 318.9 cubic meters per person | 275.73 cubic meters per person | 372.23 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 241.32 cubic meters per person | 205.73 cubic meters per person | 268.97 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 188.48 cubic meters per person | 179.64 cubic meters per person | 198.06 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 112 Nicaragua 186.79 cubic meters per person compare
- 113 Guatemala 183.4 cubic meters per person compare
- 114 Bolivia 180.08 cubic meters per person compare
- 116 Sao Tome and Principe 177.16 cubic meters per person compare
- 117 Eritrea 167.71 cubic meters per person compare
- 118 Senegal 167.12 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Somalia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -28.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -24.06 Percentage change (2025)
- Temperature change 1.53 °C (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.278 °C (2025)
- Arable land — Area 1,100 1000 ha (2024)
- Cropland — Area per capita 0.06 ha/cap (2024)
- Arable land — Share in Agricultural land 2.49 % (2024)
- Permanent crops — Area 30.15 1000 ha (2024)
- Permanent crops — Share in Agricultural land 0.07 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Somalia?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Somalia was 179.64 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 372.23 cubic meters per person in 2000.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 112.06 cubic meters per person in 1987.
- How does Somalia rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Somalia ranks 115th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Somalia 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.