China vs United States of America: Agricultural water withdrawals
China
378.31 billion cubic meters
in 2023
United States of America
176.20 billion cubic meters
in 2023
China rank
2nd
United States of America rank
4th
Agricultural water withdrawals over time
- China
- United States of America
How they compare
China currently reports 378.31 billion cubic meters against 176.20 billion cubic meters in United States of America, a difference of 202.11 billion cubic meters.
That makes China's figure about 2.1 times United States of America's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 4th of 180 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 409.16 billion cubic meters | 174.20 billion cubic meters | 234.96 billion cubic meters | China |
| 1990s | 400.37 billion cubic meters | 192.13 billion cubic meters | 208.24 billion cubic meters | China |
| 2000s | 367.43 billion cubic meters | 190.99 billion cubic meters | 176.44 billion cubic meters | China |
| 2010s | 378.66 billion cubic meters | 175.67 billion cubic meters | 202.99 billion cubic meters | China |
| 2020s | 370.57 billion cubic meters | 176.20 billion cubic meters | 194.37 billion cubic meters | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher agricultural water withdrawals, China or United States of America?
- China, at 378.31 billion cubic meters against 176.20 billion cubic meters in United States of America as of 2023.
- What is the difference in agricultural water withdrawals between China and United States of America?
- 202.11 billion cubic meters, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States of America?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do China and United States of America rank globally for agricultural water withdrawals?
- China ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 4th of 180 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - AQUASTAT (2026) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Agricultural water withdrawals. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Water withdrawn each year for irrigation, livestock, and aquaculture.