Published 2026-06-04 · data 2022 · percent of freshwater withdrawals
Agriculture drinks most freshwater we take
Irrigation for crops dominates blue-water withdrawals. Industry and homes are smaller straws.
Most of the freshwater the world pumps goes to growing food: agriculture takes about 70% of global withdrawals, industry 19%, and households 11%. That dominance makes irrigation the biggest lever on water scarcity — how farms are watered shapes how much is left for cities, factories, and the rivers themselves.
1 cell = 0.1 percent of freshwater withdrawals (0.1% of freshwater withdrawals) · 1,000 cells
Context
The shares come from FAO's AQUASTAT, the UN agency's global information system on water and agriculture, which compiles countries' withdrawal statistics; this edition reflects 2022 data. "Blue water" refers to freshwater drawn from rivers, lakes, and aquifers, as opposed to rain used where it falls.
Because irrigation dominates withdrawals, farm-level efficiency — scheduling, drip systems, less-thirsty crops — carries the most leverage over global demand. Industry and domestic use are the smaller straws, though both tend to grow with urbanization and industrialization.
These are global averages, and national mixes vary widely: farm-heavy economies lean harder on irrigation, while industrialized ones draw more for factories and taps. The grid shows the worldwide picture those local differences add up to.
FAO AQUASTAT global withdrawal shares ~70/20/10.
Share and export
Credit this grid as Inagrid — https://inagrid.com/e/2026-06-04-freshwater-withdrawal