India vs United States: Agricultural water withdrawals
India
688.00 billion cubic meters
in 2023
United States
176.20 billion cubic meters
in 2023
India rank
1st
United States rank
4th
Agricultural water withdrawals over time
- India
- United States
How they compare
India currently reports 688.00 billion cubic meters against 176.20 billion cubic meters in United States, a difference of 511.80 billion cubic meters.
That makes India's figure about 3.9 times United States's.
Across all 49 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
India ranks 1st and United States ranks 4th of 180 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 376.72 billion cubic meters | 112.86 billion cubic meters | 263.86 billion cubic meters | India |
| 1980s | 450.51 billion cubic meters | 174.20 billion cubic meters | 276.31 billion cubic meters | India |
| 1990s | 504.28 billion cubic meters | 192.13 billion cubic meters | 312.15 billion cubic meters | India |
| 2000s | 616.72 billion cubic meters | 190.99 billion cubic meters | 425.73 billion cubic meters | India |
| 2010s | 688.00 billion cubic meters | 175.67 billion cubic meters | 512.33 billion cubic meters | India |
| 2020s | 688.00 billion cubic meters | 176.20 billion cubic meters | 511.80 billion cubic meters | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher agricultural water withdrawals, India or United States?
- India, at 688.00 billion cubic meters against 176.20 billion cubic meters in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in agricultural water withdrawals between India and United States?
- 511.80 billion cubic meters, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and United States?
- 49 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2023.
- How do India and United States rank globally for agricultural water withdrawals?
- India ranks 1st and United States 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Water withdrawn each year for irrigation, livestock, and aquaculture.