Water is distributed extremely unequally throughout the world. Where is this resource available in abundance, and where is it scarce? Who wastes it, and who uses it sparingly? And how much does this important raw material cost? A numerical overview
Water in abundance
The ten countries with the biggest reserves of renewable freshwater* in 2020, in billions of cubic meters (compared with Germany)
* Balance of rainfall, evaporation, inflows and outflows
Wasting or saving
Annual per capita water consumption of selected countries in 2021** in cubic meters
Thirsty agriculture
Water consumption by sector and continent 2015, in percent
Where the water stress is highest
Proportion of the water abstracted from renewable water sources 2018, in percent
Various calculations
The price of tapwater in selected cities in 2020, in € per cubic meter
