Global industrial water withdrawal - statistics & facts
Global freshwater withdrawal exceeded 3.8 trillion cubic meters in 2023 and is projected to exceed supply by 40 percent by 2030. Over the past 40 years, groundwater levels have shown accelerated decline due to drivers of change, such as climate change, pollution, and overuse. Asia currently dominates global water withdrawals, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the world's total in 2022. Southern Asia alone withdrew over one trillion cubic meters that year, followed by Eastern Asia at nearly 700 billion cubic meters.
