Countries by water stress
Fresh water taken for farms, industry and homes, as a share of the fresh water available after nature’s own needs. Past 100%, a country draws down groundwater or desalinates. 176 countries, highest first. World Bank, mostly 2022
Median country
10.8%
half above, half below| # | Country | % of available water | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kuwait | 3,850.5% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 2 |  United Arab Emirates | 1,509.9% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 3 |  Saudi Arabia | 974.2% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 4 |  Libya | 817.1% | 2022 | Northern Africa |
| 5 |  Qatar | 431.0% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 6 |  Yemen | 169.8% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 7 |  Algeria | 144.8% | 2022 | Northern Africa |
| 8 |  Egypt | 141.2% | 2022 | Northern Africa |
| 9 |  Turkmenistan | 135.2% | 2022 | Central Asia |
| 10 |  Bahrain | 133.7% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 11 |  Israel | 132.0% | 2021 | Western Asia |
| 12 |  Syria | 124.4% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 13 |  Uzbekistan | 123.0% | 2022 | Central Asia |
| 14 |  Sudan | 118.7% | 2022 | Northern Africa |
| 15 |  Oman | 116.7% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 16 |  Pakistan | 110.0% | 2022 | Southern Asia |
| 17 |  Jordan | 105.2% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 18 |  Tunisia | 98.1% | 2022 | Northern Africa |
| 19 |  Sri Lanka | 90.8% | 2022 | Southern Asia |
| 20 |  Barbados | 87.5% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 21 |  South Korea | 85.2% | 2022 | Eastern Asia |
| 22 |  Iran | 81.3% | 2022 | Southern Asia |
| 23 |  Eswatini | 77.6% | 2022 | Southern Africa |
| 24 |  Malta | 72.6% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| 25 |  Tajikistan | 69.9% | 2022 | Central Asia |
| 26 |  South Africa | 67.6% | 2022 | Southern Africa |
| 27 |  India | 66.5% | 2022 | Southern Asia |
| 28 |  Armenia | 62.0% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 29 |  Cabo Verde | 59.7% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| 30 |  Iraq | 59.6% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 31 |  Lebanon | 58.8% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 32 |  Azerbaijan | 57.5% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 33 |  Afghanistan | 54.8% | 2022 | Southern Asia |
| 34 |  Belgium | 52.8% | 2022 | Western Europe |
| 35 |  North Macedonia | 52.6% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| =36 |  Morocco | 50.8% | 2022 | Northern Africa |
| =36 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 50.8% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 38 |  Kyrgyzstan | 50.0% | 2022 | Central Asia |
| 39 |  Turkey | 47.9% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 40 |  Zimbabwe | 46.1% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 41 |  Mexico | 44.9% | 2022 | Central America |
| 42 |  Spain | 43.3% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| 43 |  China | 41.5% | 2022 | Eastern Asia |
| 44 |  Bulgaria | 40.2% | 2022 | Eastern Europe |
| 45 |  Dominican Republic | 39.6% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 46 |  Japan | 36.6% | 2022 | Eastern Asia |
| 47 |  Germany | 35.4% | 2022 | Western Europe |
| 48 |  Kazakhstan | 34.6% | 2022 | Central Asia |
| 49 |  Singapore | 33.3% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| 50 |  Kenya | 33.2% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 51 |  Poland | 32.5% | 2022 | Eastern Europe |
| 52 |  Ethiopia | 32.3% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 53 |  Cyprus | 30.5% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| 54 |  Italy | 29.8% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| 55 |  Indonesia | 29.7% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| 56 |  Timor-Leste | 28.3% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| 57 |  United States | 28.2% | 2022 | Northern America |
| 58 |  Philippines | 27.8% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| 59 |  North Korea | 27.7% | 2022 | Eastern Asia |
| 60 |  Denmark | 25.3% | 2022 | Northern Europe |
| 61 |  Somalia | 24.5% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 62 |  Cuba | 23.9% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| =63 |  Mauritius | 23.0% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| =63 |  Thailand | 23.0% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| 65 |  Czechia | 22.0% | 2022 | Eastern Europe |
| 66 |  France | 21.4% | 2022 | Western Europe |
| =67 |  Greece | 20.3% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| =67 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 20.3% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 69 |  Rwanda | 20.2% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 70 |  Vietnam | 18.1% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| 71 |  Malawi | 17.5% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 72 |  Netherlands | 16.7% | 2022 | Western Europe |
| 73 |  Senegal | 16.3% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| 74 |  Maldives | 15.7% | 2022 | Southern Asia |
| 75 |  United Kingdom | 14.4% | 2022 | Northern Europe |
| 76 |  Saint Lucia | 14.3% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 77 |  Haiti | 13.4% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 78 |  Mauritania | 13.2% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| =79 |  Estonia | 13.0% | 2022 | Northern Europe |
| =79 |  Tanzania | 13.0% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 81 |  Moldova | 12.6% | 2022 | Eastern Europe |
| 82 |  Jamaica | 12.4% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 83 |  Portugal | 12.3% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| =84 |  El Salvador | 12.1% | 2022 | Central America |
| =84 |  Uruguay | 12.1% | 2022 | South America |
| 86 |  Madagascar | 11.3% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 87 |  Eritrea | 11.2% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 88 |  Niger | 11.0% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| 89 |  Argentina | 10.5% | 2022 | South America |
| 90 |  Burundi | 10.2% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 91 |  Dominica | 10.0% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 92 |  Nigeria | 9.7% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| 93 |  Chile | 9.0% | 2022 | South America |
| 94 |  Austria | 8.7% | 2022 | Western Europe |
| 95 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 8.5% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 96 |  Nepal | 8.3% | 2022 | Southern Asia |
| =97 |  Hungary | 8.1% | 2022 | Eastern Europe |
| =97 |  Ireland | 8.1% | 2022 | Northern Europe |
| =99 |  Mali | 8.0% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| =99 |  New Zealand | 8.0% | 2022 | Australia and New Zealand |
| 101 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 7.9% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 102 |  Burkina Faso | 7.8% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| 103 |  Romania | 7.6% | 2022 | Eastern Europe |
| 104 |  Venezuela | 7.5% | 2022 | South America |
| =105 |  Finland | 7.1% | 2022 | Northern Europe |
| =105 |  Grenada | 7.1% | 2022 | Caribbean |
| 107 |  Ecuador | 6.8% | 2022 | South America |
| 108 |  Switzerland | 6.5% | 2022 | Western Europe |
| =109 |  Djibouti | 6.3% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| =109 |  Ghana | 6.3% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| =109 |  Ukraine | 6.3% | 2022 | Eastern Europe |
| 112 |  Costa Rica | 5.9% | 2022 | Central America |
| =113 |  Myanmar | 5.8% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| =113 |  Uganda | 5.8% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| =115 |  Bangladesh | 5.7% | 2022 | Southern Asia |
| =115 |  Guatemala | 5.7% | 2022 | Central America |
| =115 |  Serbia | 5.7% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| 118 |  Slovenia | 5.6% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| 119 |  Côte d'Ivoire | 5.1% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| =120 |  Albania | 4.8% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| =120 |  Laos | 4.8% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| =120 |  Peru | 4.8% | 2022 | South America |
| =123 |  Australia | 4.7% | 2022 | Australia and New Zealand |
| =123 |  Belarus | 4.7% | 2022 | Eastern Europe |
| 125 |  Honduras | 4.6% | 2022 | Central America |
| 126 |  Chad | 4.3% | 2022 | Middle Africa |
| =127 |  Georgia | 4.2% | 2022 | Western Asia |
| =127 |  South Sudan | 4.2% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 129 |  Russia | 4.1% | 2022 | Eastern Europe |
| =130 |  Luxembourg | 4.0% | 2022 | Western Europe |
| =130 |  Suriname | 4.0% | 2022 | South America |
| 132 |  Canada | 3.7% | 2022 | Northern America |
| =133 |  Colombia | 3.6% | 2022 | South America |
| =133 |  Sweden | 3.6% | 2022 | Northern Europe |
| 135 |  Brunei | 3.5% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| =136 |  Malaysia | 3.4% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| =136 |  Mongolia | 3.4% | 2022 | Eastern Asia |
| =136 |  Togo | 3.4% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| 139 |  Guyana | 3.3% | 2022 | South America |
| 140 |  Zambia | 2.8% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| 141 |  Lesotho | 2.6% | 2022 | Southern Africa |
| 142 |  Slovakia | 2.4% | 2022 | Eastern Europe |
| =143 |  Botswana | 2.2% | 2022 | Southern Africa |
| =143 |  Gambia | 2.2% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| =143 |  Lithuania | 2.2% | 2022 | Northern Europe |
| =143 |  Nicaragua | 2.2% | 2022 | Central America |
| 147 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2.1% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| 148 |  Norway | 2.0% | 2022 | Northern Europe |
| =149 |  Angola | 1.9% | 2022 | Middle Africa |
| =149 |  São Tomé and Principe | 1.9% | 2022 | Middle Africa |
| =151 |  Mozambique | 1.8% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| =151 |  Paraguay | 1.8% | 2022 | South America |
| 153 |  Cameroon | 1.6% | 2022 | Middle Africa |
| =154 |  Brazil | 1.5% | 2022 | South America |
| =154 |  Croatia | 1.5% | 2022 | Southern Europe |
| =154 |  Guinea-Bissau | 1.5% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| =157 |  Bhutan | 1.4% | 2022 | Southern Asia |
| =157 |  Guinea | 1.4% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| 159 |  Belize | 1.3% | 2022 | Central America |
| =160 |  Benin | 1.0% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| =160 |  Cambodia | 1.0% | 2022 | South-Eastern Asia |
| =160 |  Latvia | 1.0% | 2022 | Northern Europe |
| 163 |  Panama | 0.9% | 2022 | Central America |
| 164 |  Comoros | 0.8% | 2022 | Eastern Africa |
| =165 |  Gabon | 0.5% | 2022 | Middle Africa |
| =165 |  Sierra Leone | 0.5% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| 167 |  Iceland | 0.4% | 2022 | Northern Europe |
| =168 |  Central African Republic | 0.3% | 2022 | Middle Africa |
| =168 |  Fiji | 0.3% | 2022 | Melanesia |
| =168 |  Liberia | 0.3% | 2022 | Western Africa |
| =168 |  Namibia | 0.3% | 2022 | Southern Africa |
| =172 |  Bolivia | 0.2% | 2022 | South America |
| =172 |  DR Congo | 0.2% | 2022 | Middle Africa |
| =172 |  Equatorial Guinea | 0.2% | 2022 | Middle Africa |
| 175 |  Papua New Guinea | 0.1% | 2022 | Melanesia |
| 176 |  Congo | 0.0% | 2022 | Middle Africa |
No World Bank figure for 18 countries: Andorra, Bahamas, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Tonga, Vanuatu, Vatican City.
Territories and other places
Not ranked: dependencies of the states above, places whose status is disputed, and Antarctica. Highest first.
| Place | % of available water | Status |
|---|---|---|
 Palestine | 47.8% | Status disputed |
 Puerto Rico | 19.5% | Territory of United States of America |
Questions
- Which country has the most water stress?
- Kuwait has the most water stress: 3,850.5% of its available fresh water (2022). Next come the United Arab Emirates (1,509.9% of its available fresh water) and Saudi Arabia (974.2% of its available fresh water).
- Which country has the least water stress?
- The Congo, with 0.0% of its available fresh water (2022).
- What is the typical water stress of a country?
- The median of the 176 countries is 10.8% of its available fresh water: half are above it, half below. The median, not the average, because a few countries at the top would drag an average far above almost everyone.
- Where do the figures come from?
- Fresh water taken for farms, industry and homes, as a share of the fresh water available after nature’s own needs. Past 100%, a country draws down groundwater or desalinates. Source: World Bank, mostly 2022. Only independent states are ranked; territories are listed separately.
Source: World Bank (CC BY 4.0). Figures more than 5 years older than the newest are left out rather than shown beside current ones. Countries sharing a value share a rank. All sources.