Water withdrawals per capita in Uruguay
Uruguay: Water withdrawals per capita was 1,284 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1,284 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
7th
of 180 countries
All-time high
1,329 cubic meters per person
in 2022
All-time low
242.43 cubic meters per person
in 1965
Years of data
59
1965–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Uruguay, 1965–2023
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 Uruguay stood at 1,284 cubic meters per person.
The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and up 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Uruguay peaked at 1,329 cubic meters per person in 2022 and was at its lowest, 242.43 cubic meters per person, in 1965.
That places Uruguay 7th out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 59 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 242.43 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1966 | 271.82 cubic meters per person | +12.1% |
| 1967 | 300.85 cubic meters per person | +10.7% |
| 1968 | 329.63 cubic meters per person | +9.6% |
| 1969 | 358.33 cubic meters per person | +8.7% |
| 1970 | 386.99 cubic meters per person | +8.0% |
| 1971 | 415.47 cubic meters per person | +7.4% |
| 1972 | 443.71 cubic meters per person | +6.8% |
| 1973 | 471.6 cubic meters per person | +6.3% |
| 1974 | 498.96 cubic meters per person | +5.8% |
| 1975 | 525.71 cubic meters per person | +5.4% |
| 1976 | 551.98 cubic meters per person | +5.0% |
| 1977 | 578.11 cubic meters per person | +4.7% |
| 1978 | 604.3 cubic meters per person | +4.5% |
| 1979 | 630.63 cubic meters per person | +4.4% |
| 1980 | 657.19 cubic meters per person | +4.2% |
| 1981 | 683.71 cubic meters per person | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 709.8 cubic meters per person | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 735.42 cubic meters per person | +3.6% |
| 1984 | 760.7 cubic meters per person | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 785.54 cubic meters per person | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 809.8 cubic meters per person | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 833.47 cubic meters per person | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 856.6 cubic meters per person | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 879.38 cubic meters per person | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 901.95 cubic meters per person | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 924.3 cubic meters per person | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 946.59 cubic meters per person | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 968.84 cubic meters per person | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 990.91 cubic meters per person | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 1,013 cubic meters per person | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 1,034 cubic meters per person | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 1,055 cubic meters per person | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 1,077 cubic meters per person | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 1,098 cubic meters per person | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 1,121 cubic meters per person | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 1,128 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 1,137 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 1,147 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 1,157 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 1,166 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 1,176 cubic meters per person | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 1,184 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 1,192 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 1,200 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 1,207 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 1,214 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 1,222 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 1,228 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 1,234 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 1,240 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 1,246 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 1,253 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 1,261 cubic meters per person | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 1,270 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 1,280 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 1,301 cubic meters per person | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 1,329 cubic meters per person | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 1,284 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 1,284 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 3.4× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 1,284 cubic meters per person is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 323.09 cubic meters per person, 4.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 300.61 cubic meters per person | 242.43 cubic meters per person | 358.33 cubic meters per person | 5 |
| 1970s | 510.75 cubic meters per person | 386.99 cubic meters per person | 630.63 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 771.16 cubic meters per person | 657.19 cubic meters per person | 879.38 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,001 cubic meters per person | 901.95 cubic meters per person | 1,098 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,161 cubic meters per person | 1,121 cubic meters per person | 1,200 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,238 cubic meters per person | 1,207 cubic meters per person | 1,270 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,299 cubic meters per person | 1,280 cubic meters per person | 1,329 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
- 4 Chile 1,647 cubic meters per person compare
- 5 North Macedonia 1,486 cubic meters per person compare
- 6 United States 1,294 cubic meters per person compare
- 8 Azerbaijan 1,257 cubic meters per person compare
- 9 Uzbekistan 1,248 cubic meters per person compare
- 10 Kazakhstan 1,198 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Uruguay
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.58 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.3 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.385 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.622 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.96 % 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 3.64 % 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 Uruguay?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Uruguay was 1,284 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 Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 1,329 cubic meters per person in 2022.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 242.43 cubic meters per person in 1965.
- How does Uruguay rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Uruguay ranks 7th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Uruguay 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.