The availability of renewable water per person has decreased by seven percent over the last decade, from 5,326 to 5,719 cubic meters (m3), according to the 2025 AQUASTAT water data summary.
Regions such as North Africa, South Asia and West Asia have the lowest per capita freshwater resources, with Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Yemen ranking among the main countries with the least total renewable water.
Increased freshwater extraction
Several regions have also seen an increase in freshwater withdrawals in recent years, increasing pressure on already stressed river basins and aquifers.
“North Africa saw the largest increaseand freshwater withdrawals increased by 16 percent,” the report says.
The majority of withdrawals globally, almost 70 percent, came from surface water sources, while 23 percent came from groundwater.
Water for agriculture
Agriculture remains the largest water-using sector, accounting for around 72 percent of global freshwater withdrawals. The industrial and service sectors followed with 15 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
Sixty-six countries allocated more than 75 percent of their total freshwater withdrawals to agriculture.
For Afghanistan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mali, Nepal, Somalia and Sudan the figure was 95 percent.
Change in availability and demand
The report also shows how water availability and demand are changing between regions.
This includes North Africa, where per capita freshwater availability remains among the lowest in the world, while withdrawals have increased by 16 percent over the past 10 years.
In West Asia – which the report says includes most Middle Eastern countries – rapid population growth and agricultural demand are contributing to greater pressure on limited supplies.
Irrigation and efficiency
The report also highlights wide disparities in irrigation efficiency and water use on cultivated lands.
“In some parts of Latin America and Asia, irrigation supports a large share of agricultural production, while in sub-Saharan Africa irrigated cropland represents only a small fraction of total cultivated land, reflecting persistent gaps in access to water infrastructure,” FAO said.
At the national level, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Suriname and Uzbekistan reported the highest irrigation coverage. More than 90 percent of cultivated land in these countries is equipped with irrigation infrastructure.
In contrast, some 35 countries – mainly in sub-Saharan Africa – had less than 1 percent of their cultivated land under irrigation.