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Progress on Level of Water Stress

Improving farming systems will help reduce the demand for water and alleviate the pressure on ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems are in turn essential to stabilize the water cycle, allowing more recharge for aquifers and a steadier run-off in surface streams.

  • 18 % of the world’s renewable water resources is being withdrawn, after taking into account environmental flow requirements (SDG indicator 6.4.2, 2020)

Available time series: 2000-2021
Number of countries (and areas) reporting in the last five years: 166
Proportion of world population covered by reporting in the last five years:100%

Proportion of world land area covered by reporting in the last five years: 99%
Learn more about the indicator here
Read the latest progress report here

SDG target 6.4 is: ‘By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.’

To track progress towards the target, SDG indicator 6.4.2 monitors how much freshwater is being withdrawn by all economic activities, compared to the total renewable freshwater resources available.

Global status of indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (2020)

Number of people living in countries (or areas) with water stress (using more than 50% of available water resources): --- (---% of the world population)
Number of people living in countries (or areas) with critical water stress (using more than 100% of available water resources): --- (---% of the world population)

Freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (%)

Change over time of indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources

Status in different countries (or areas) of indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (2001-2020)

  • Australia and New Zealand
  • Eastern and South-Eastern Asia
  • Central and Southern Asia
  • Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Europe and Northern America
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)
  • Northern Africa and Western Asia

Status in different SDG regions of indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (2020)

Status of different components of indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources (2020)

Water resources and withdrawal, total and per capita
Renewable water resources, world average: --- m3 per capita (2020)
Water withdrawal, world average: --- m3 per capita (2020)
Environmental flow requirements: ---% of renewable water resources (2020) 

Source data indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources

Country (or area), region and world data for the latest year of reporting: 2001 - 2020

Country (or area), region, worldYear 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
Overall (%) Renewable water resources Water withdrawal Environmental flow requirements
Afghanistan202054.7665.3320.37
Albania20204.7230.20.79
Algeria2020137.9211.6710.46
Andorra20200.32
Angola20201.87148.40.71
Antigua and Barbuda20208.460.050.01
Argentina202010.46876.2437.78
Armenia202057.097.772.83
Australia20203.4749213.74
Australia and New Zealand2017-20205.6819
Austria20209.6477.73.49
Azerbaijan202055.634.6712.58
Bahamas20200.7
Bahrain2020133.710.120.43
Bangladesh20205.721227.0335.87
Barbados202087.50.080.08
Belarus20204.3857.91.33
Belgium202051.5818.34.26
Belize20201.2621.730.1
Benin20200.9826.390.23
Bhutan20201.41780.34
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)20201.185742.09
Bosnia and Herzegovina2001-20202.4837.50.33
Botswana20202.3112.240.22
Brazil20201.48864767.2
Brunei Darussalam2001-20203.478.50.09
Bulgaria202037.5221.35.08
Burkina Faso20207.8213.50.82
Burundi202010.1912.540.28
Cabo Verde20208.430.30.03
Cambodia20201.04476.12.18
Cameroon20201.56283.151.09
Canada20203.73290236.23
Central African Republic20200.341410.07
Central and Southern Asia2017-202071.134155.71
Chad20204.2945.70.88
Chile20208.98923.0632.37
China202041.522840.22581.29
Colombia20204.36236029.12
Comoros20200.831.20.01
Congo20200.038320.09
Cook Islands20200
Costa Rica20205.351133.14
Croatia20201.48105.51.23
Cuba202023.9438.126.96
Cyprus202037.590.780.28
Czechia202020.7713.151.37
Côte d'Ivoire20205.0984.141.16
Democratic People's Republic of Korea202027.7477.158.66
Democratic Republic of the Congo20200.2312830.68
Denmark202026.460.98
Djibouti2001-20206.330.30.02
Dominica2001-20208.30.20.02
Dominican Republic202039.5523.59.08
Eastern and South-Eastern Asia2017-202030.369847.02
Ecuador20206.78442.49.92
Egypt2020141.1757.577.5
El Salvador20202.4326.272.12
Equatorial Guinea2001-20200.17260.02
Eritrea202011.187.320.58
Estonia20209.2312.810.85
Eswatini202077.564.511.07
Ethiopia202032.2612210.55
Europe and Northern America2017-202012.4513758.84
Faroe Islands20200
Fiji20200.328.550.08
Finland20207.111103.5
France20202321126.27
Gabon20200.51660.14
Gambia20202.2180.1
Georgia20205.3963.331.65
Germany202033.515428.48
Ghana20206.3156.21.46
Greece202020.4868.410.12
Grenada20200.20.01
Guatemala20205.74127.913.32
Guinea20201.372260.89
Guinea-Bissau20201.531.40.19
Guyana20203.32711.44
Haiti202013.3814.021.45
Holy See20200
Honduras20204.6292.161.61
Hungary20208.071044.66
Iceland20200.391700.28
India202066.491910.9761
Indonesia202029.72018.7222.64
Iran (Islamic Republic of)202081.29137.0493.3
Iraq202079.5189.8656.62
Ireland202021.64521.54
Israel2020110.091.782.3
Italy202029.81191.333.89
Jamaica202012.4710.821.35
Japan202036.0543078.4
Jordan2020104.310.941.1
Kazakhstan202034.1108.4124.56
Kenya202033.2430.74.03
Kiribati20200
Kuwait20203850.50.021.25
Kyrgyzstan202050.0423.627.66
Lao People's Democratic Republic20204.79333.57.35
Latin America and the Caribbean2017-20205.9819203.52
Latvia20201.0734.940.18
Lebanon202058.794.51.84
Lesotho20202.573.020.04
Liberia20200.262320.15
Libya2020817.140.75.83
Liechtenstein20200
Lithuania20201.8324.50.25
Luxembourg20203.963.50.05
Madagascar202011.2633713.56
Malawi202017.517.281.36
Malaysia20203.445805.49
Maldives2001-202017.120.030.01
Mali202081205.19
Malta202081.860.050.06
Marshall Islands20200
Mauritania202013.2511.41.35
Mauritius202022.062.750.61
Mexico202044.82461.8989.55
Micronesia (Federated States of)20200
Monaco20200
Mongolia20203.434.80.46
Montenegro20200.16
Morocco202050.752910.43
Mozambique20201.75217.11.47
Myanmar20205.81167.833.39
Namibia20200.8639.910.29
Nauru20200.01
Nepal20208.31210.29.5
Netherlands202016.8918.31
New Zealand20208.053274.89
Nicaragua20202.22164.521.27
Niger202011.0234.052.58
Nigeria20209.67286.212.48
Niue20200
North Macedonia202038.76.40.47
Northern Africa and Western Asia2017-202083.94580.4
Norway20202.053932.69
Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)2017-20200.16884.26
Oman2020116.711.41.92
Pakistan2020116.31246.8183.45
Palau20200
Panama20200.9139.31.21
Papua New Guinea2001-20200.18010.39
Paraguay20201.84387.772.41
Peru20207.181879.838.55
Philippines202026.2547985.87
Poland20203060.59.21
Portugal202012.3277.46.13
Puerto Rico202019.547.13.27
Qatar2020431.030.060.88
Republic of Korea202085.2269.727.08
Republic of Moldova202012.5612.270.8
Romania20206.01212.016.42
Russian Federation20204.124525.4464.82
Rwanda202020.213.30.6
Réunion200115.15
Saint Kitts and Nevis20200.020.02
Saint Lucia20200.30.04
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines2001-20209.70.10.01
Samoa20200
Sao Tome and Principe20201.882.180.04
Saudi Arabia2020974.172.425.99
Senegal202016.2838.973.02
Serbia20206162.25.32
Seychelles202000.01
Sierra Leone20200.51600.21
Singapore2001-2020328.240.60.66
Slovakia20202.3950.10.56
Slovenia20206.7831.871
Solomon Islands202044.7
Somalia202024.5314.73.3
South Africa202065.0351.3519.19
South Sudan20204.2349.50.66
Spain202043.25111.529.02
Sri Lanka202090.7952.812.95
State of Palestine202050.260.840.45
Sub-Saharan Africa2017-20206.185488.56
Sudan2020118.6637.826.94
Suriname20203.95990.62
Sweden20203.581742.48
Switzerland20206.553.51.77
Syrian Arab Republic2020124.3616.816.76
Tajikistan202069.9421.919.9
Thailand202023.01438.6157.31
Timor-Leste202028.278.221.17
Togo20203.3914.70.22
Tokelau20200
Tonga20200
Trinidad and Tobago202020.333.840.38
Tunisia202098.114.623.59
Turkmenistan2020135.2124.7626.24
Tuvalu20200
Türkiye202045.71211.662.21
Uganda20205.8360.10.64
Ukraine202012.26175.289.87
United Arab Emirates20201587.330.154.98
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland202014.351478.42
United Republic of Tanzania202012.9696.275.18
United States of America202028.163069444.29
Uruguay20209.79172.23.66
Uzbekistan2020168.9248.8758.9
Vanuatu202010
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)20207.54132522.63
Viet Nam202018.13884.1282.03
World2017-202018.2442825.6
Yemen2020169.762.13.56
Zambia20202.84104.81.57
Zimbabwe202035.41203.77
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