New Zealand vs South Africa: Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry

New Zealand
24.0%
in 2022
South Africa
23.2%
in 2022
New Zealand rank
46th
South Africa rank
48th

Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry over time

  • New Zealand
  • South Africa
10152025198520032022

How they compare

New Zealand currently reports 24.0% against 23.2% in South Africa, a difference of 0.8%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.

New Zealand ranks 46th and South Africa ranks 48th of 179 countries.

New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade New Zealand South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 10.0% 9.2% 0.8% New Zealand
2000s 16.6% 9.1% 7.6% New Zealand
2010s 23.8% 16.0% 7.8% New Zealand
2020s 23.9% 21.9% 2.0% New Zealand

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher annual freshwater withdrawals, industry, New Zealand or South Africa?
New Zealand, at 24.0% against 23.2% in South Africa as of 2022.
What is the difference in annual freshwater withdrawals, industry between New Zealand and South Africa?
0.8%, with New Zealand ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and South Africa?
33 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2022.
How do New Zealand and South Africa rank globally for annual freshwater withdrawals, industry?
New Zealand ranks 46th and South Africa ranks 48th of 179 countries.
Where does this data come from?
AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry (% of total freshwater withdrawal). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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New Zealand vs South Africa: Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry. Statizoid, drawing on AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/annual-freshwater-withdrawals-industry-percent-of-total-freshwater-withdrawal/new-zealand/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry (% of total freshwater withdrawal)
Unit
% of total freshwater withdrawal
Source
AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
226 places, 6,201 data points, 1965–2022
Last refreshed

Annual freshwater withdrawals refer to total water withdrawals, not counting evaporation losses from storage basins. Withdrawals also include water from desalination plants in countries where they are a significant source. Withdrawals can exceed 100 percent of total renewable resources where extraction from nonrenewable aquifers or desalination plants is considerable or where there is significant water reuse. Withdrawals for industry are total withdrawals for direct industrial use (including withdrawals for cooling thermoelectric plants). Data are for the most recent year available for 1987-2002.