The latest 2025 AQUASTAT Water Data Snapshot highlights growing pressure on global freshwater resources, showing a continued decline in renewable water availability, defined as the freshwater replenished annually through precipitation in rivers and aquifers. Over the past decade, renewable water availability per person has fallen by seven per cent, underscoring increasing stress on water systems as populations grow and demand rises. Regions including Northern Africa, Southern Asia and Western Asia remain the most water-scarce, with countries such as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Yemen recording some of the lowest levels of total renewable freshwater.
At the same time, freshwater withdrawals have increased in several regions, intensifying pressure on already stressed river basins and aquifers. Northern Africa experienced the sharpest rise, with withdrawals growing by 16 per cent over the past decade. Globally, most freshwater withdrawals continue to come from surface water sources, while nearly a quarter are drawn from groundwater, raising concerns about long-term sustainability.
Agriculture remains by far the largest user of freshwater worldwide, accounting for roughly 72 per cent of total withdrawals, followed by the industrial and service sectors. In many countries, water use is heavily concentrated in agriculture, with more than 75 per cent of total withdrawals allocated to farming in 66 countries. In nations such as Afghanistan, Mali, Nepal, Somalia and Sudan, agricultural use accounts for as much as 95 per cent of freshwater withdrawals, reflecting limited diversification of water demand.
The report also reveals shifting patterns of water availability and demand across regions. In North Africa, extremely low per capita water availability is being compounded by rising withdrawals, while in Western Asia rapid population growth and expanding agricultural needs are placing further strain on limited supplies. These trends highlight the growing imbalance between water availability and consumption in some of the world’s most water-stressed regions.
Significant disparities persist in irrigation coverage and water-use efficiency across cultivated land. While irrigation supports a large share of crop production in parts of Latin America and Asia, sub-Saharan Africa continues to lag behind due to limited water infrastructure. Countries such as Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Suriname and Uzbekistan report very high irrigation coverage, whereas many sub-Saharan African countries have less than one per cent of cultivated land equipped for irrigation, underscoring ongoing challenges in improving agricultural productivity and water efficiency.
