Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry in South Africa
South Africa: Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry was 23.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry in South Africa, 1990–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 23.2% for annual freshwater withdrawals, industry in 2022. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.0% on the previous year and up 124.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual freshwater withdrawals, industry in South Africa peaked at 23.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 8.2%, in 2000.
South Africa ranks 48th of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.9% | — |
| 1991 | 10.4% | -4.2% |
| 1992 | 10.0% | -4.4% |
| 1993 | 9.5% | -4.7% |
| 1994 | 9.0% | -5.0% |
| 1995 | 8.5% | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 8.5% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 8.4% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 8.4% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 8.3% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 8.2% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 8.4% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 8.6% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 8.8% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 9.0% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 9.2% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 9.4% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 9.5% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 9.7% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 9.9% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 10.0% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 10.2% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 10.3% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 10.5% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 15.3% | +45.6% |
| 2015 | 19.2% | +26.0% |
| 2016 | 20.7% | +7.5% |
| 2017 | 21.2% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 20.5% | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 22.5% | +9.7% |
| 2020 | 21.3% | -5.2% |
| 2021 | 21.2% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 23.2% | +9.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.2% | 8.3% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.1% | 8.2% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.0% | 10.0% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.9% | 21.2% | 23.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 45 Sierra Leone 26.2% compare
- 46 New Zealand 24.0% compare
- 47 Kazakhstan 23.9% compare
- 49 Italy 22.7% compare
- 50 Suriname 22.0% compare
- 51 Antigua and Barbuda 21.7% compare
More infrastructure data for South Africa
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 114.79 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 179.34 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.01 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.58 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0158 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -25.13 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 1.01 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.79 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual freshwater withdrawals, industry in South Africa?
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry in South Africa was 23.2% in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest annual freshwater withdrawals, industry recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 23.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest annual freshwater withdrawals, industry recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.2% in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for annual freshwater withdrawals, industry?
- South Africa ranks 48th out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is annual freshwater withdrawals, industry rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 124.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Annual freshwater withdrawals, industry (% of total freshwater withdrawal). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.