Countries in South America 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. 12 countries in South America, highest first. World Bank, 2022
Median country
4.4%
half above, half below| # | Country | % of available water | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Uruguay | 12.1% | South America |
| 2 |  Argentina | 10.5% | South America |
| 3 |  Chile | 9.0% | South America |
| 4 |  Venezuela | 7.5% | South America |
| 5 |  Ecuador | 6.8% | South America |
| 6 |  Peru | 4.8% | South America |
| 7 |  Suriname | 4.0% | South America |
| 8 |  Colombia | 3.6% | South America |
| 9 |  Guyana | 3.3% | South America |
| 10 |  Paraguay | 1.8% | South America |
| 11 |  Brazil | 1.5% | South America |
| 12 |  Bolivia | 0.2% | South America |
Questions
- Which country in South America has the most water stress?
- Uruguay has the most water stress in South America: 12.1% of its available fresh water (2022). Next come Argentina (10.5% of its available fresh water) and Chile (9.0% of its available fresh water).
- Which country in South America has the least water stress?
- Bolivia, with 0.2% of its available fresh water (2022).
- What is the typical water stress of a country in South America?
- The median of the 12 countries in South America is 4.4% 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, 2022. Only independent states are ranked; territories are listed separately. A country’s continent follows Natural Earth; the handful of island states it files under the open ocean are placed by their UN subregion.
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.